I have been compensated for this post in the form of a product. All opinions are mine and mine alone. This post is sponsored by PBS.
PBS is known for its eye opening, educational and positive content. If you are looking for a serious film, POV is the place to find it. Within PBS they showcase a dozen or so films a year who’s content is engaging, daring and spur academic and emotional conversations. Their recent DVD release on November 7th 2017 of POV: Swim Team is one such real life documentary on the lives of three young men on the autism spectrum with a love for swimming, the highs and lows of the family that loves and resides with them day by day. It is emotional, empowering and engrossing.
POV: SWIM TEAM is a beautifully touching film that will warm your heart, make you feel for the struggle of parent and child as well as showing how the love of something can make you stronger than was thought possible. It touches on the emotional, financial and educational struggles the boys have faced as well as their parents throughout their childhood and in their pursuit of giving them something normal like a swim team to ground them. The financial struggles that they face are equally matched by the emotional toll it takes to care for a teen with Autism and in the case of one of the boys also Tourette syndrome.
We received the POV: Swim Team DVD and watched all 100 minutes in what felt like a much shorter period. I got pulled into the film, the boy’s obvious love for swimming, their charming personalities and I felt the hardship of the parent’s to give their children the best they can. As a parent I can see the hardship the father struggles with as a parent and as a coach wanting to guide not only his son but these other boys with Autism. Seeing the mother’s struggles as well is difficult but there is a spark of endurance and hope that they will not give up on their children no matter the struggle. Already they have faced from birth grim diagnosis about the health, mental and emotional welfare of their children that with love and hard work they have shown the naysayers that anything is possible. Children that were told could not walk, could not cope with “normal” activities are overcoming those predictions in a way that perhaps even the average person would be unable to do. I deeply enjoyed this film and would see myself discussing this with family and friends.
You can find this DVD on the PBS Shop site currently priced at $19.99. Follow PBS on Facebook and Twitter for news on this showcase and other poignant programs on their station.