VANILLA

By Aganza Kisaka

Vanilla is a short film about a single mom, Miriam, who has dedicated twenty years of her life to taking care of her daughter who has Down-syndrome. After a long unfruitful day of looking for work-placement for her self and her daughter, Miriam is confronted by Jessica, her hip, vibrant younger stepsister about the staleness of her life. Miriam bellows the challenges and stigma of taking care of a child with an intellectual disability and in the same breath declares, “This is my life!” This a story that highlights the difficult decisions that parents, caretakers and guardians constantly face when looking after someone with a mental disorder.