Local filmmaker bringing autistic representation to the Rose of Tralee

CAOILINN Handley is a 25-year-old award winning filmmaker and disability activist from Terenure.

This week she will take on a brand-new challenge as she attempts to be selected as the Dublin representative in the Rose of Tralee competition.

“I have decided to compete in this year’s competition to show people what autism actually looks like, and to prove that we are just as capable, even if we do things slightly differently,” Caoilinn tells Southside People.

“My sponsor is Aspire Ireland, an autism charity and autistic-led production company who do brilliant work.

“I am absolutely delighted to be working with them on this.

“I am so very proud to wear their name on my sash and keep the autism pride flag flying high for all to see.”

After years of feeling that she was different, in February 2020 Caoilinn’s autism diagnosis was confirmed.

“When the pandemic struck in March 2020 and the whole world turned upside down, I was still dealing with my diagnosis,”

“Suddenly, I had months to sit with my diagnosis and take stock of my life.

“During that time, I did so much work on myself.

“I became much more vocal online about being autistic, and other conditions I have.

“Now following every appearance or social media post, I receive lots of messages from people thanking me, and saying how much it has helped them to understand their family or even themselves.

“This is what inspired me to enter the Rose of Tralee.”

However, one experience Caoillinn went through during the pandemic was not so positive.

“I was working on a film and was told that I had to go on sick leave,” she says.

“Someone went behind my back, without telling me or without me giving my permission they went and discussed my medical history with a third party.

“I was not happy with this or the decision to go on sick leave and I told them.

“The person told me they did this with ‘good intentions’ out of the ‘goodness of their heart’ and they’d made their decision.”

While Caoillinn feels that people are starting to become more aware of autism, it is still ‘dangerous to be out.’

“I think eventually things will improve, however it is happening very slowly.

“I don’t know if I will benefit but hopefully autistic people in the future will.

“That is why I’m doing this, so that the next generation won’t have to deal with some of the issues my generation has had to deal with.”

Caoilinn’s talents as a filmmaker have been honoured several times over the past few years.

She was crowned Producer of the Year at the Emerging Director Awards (EDA) in 2020 and one of her short scripts, titled “Too Much”, was shortlisted as a screenplay finalist in the Kerry International Film Festival and Waterford Film Festival 2021.

“I hope to get funding to produce it this year, with the aim of a majority neurodivergent cast and crew,” she says.

“We will be implementing the findings of my research on this project also and using it as a proof of concept for accessible filmmaking.”

She says she wants to make films that feature people with autism so that the world begins to understand that being autistic is an amazing thing.

She is also moving on to the next phase of her research project on neurodiversity and disability in the film industry.

For this work she was recently listed as a County Finalist in the National Lottery’s Good Causes Awards.

Hopefully this week will be another triumphant one in her stellar career.

“The Dublin Rose selection night is also on this Saturday, June 18th, which also happens to be Autism Pride Day,” she says. “It seems very fitting to me that on this day where we celebrate being autistic,

“I will be up on a stage representing little girls out there like me, and showing them that they can achieve anything they put their minds to.”