One of Us

Synopsis:

Lilian is 29 years old and lives together with her family in a small village in the Black Forest (Germany). She was born with the genetic disease Trisomy 21, also better known as Down Syndrome. This is a congenital chromosomal disorder that is not treatable. As a child she was often teased and excluded because of her otherness. But Lilian was so much promoted that today she can largely lead an independent life. In total, around 30,000 to 50,000 people in Germany live with the Down Syndrome. Only about 30 years ago, the mental abilities of people with Down Syndrome were massively downplayed. Nobody dared to learn to read and write. Almost every one of them today can do it and more and more people are trying to integrate people with disabilities into society. Unfortunately, genetic engineering raises critical and ethical issues today: the possibilities of prenatal diagnosis are giving birth to fewer and fewer people with Down Syndrome today, as many parents opt for an abortion. Why should people with Down syndrome in this world have no right to exist?

A Film by: Nathalie Pfeiffer

Sound: Helmut Pfeiffer

Production by: Fluter / Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung / CinePanorama

Country: Germany

Length: 5 Minutes

© Fluter