Mima Is Mima

At the end of summer vacation, Mima is eager to go back to school. When she arrives at the schoolyard, she gets cold feet for a moment. Mima was born with Down syndrome, and learning doesn’t come easy. That’s also why she’s 15 and still in sixth grade. Nevertheless, she doesn’t want to go to a special school.

“My brains didn’t know. They’re always wrong,” she explains to her mother when they’re looking at her homework together. When she fails to master a task, she reacts with frustration, but her mother patiently keeps her focused. And when Mima concentrates, she’ll suddenly succeed.

Short scenes invite us into Mima’s life, while close-ups of her face reveal her emotions. Most of the time, Mima has to work a lot harder than others to keep up—but eventually something comes along that allows her to simply shine.