Dina

— “Dina” has the feeling of eavesdropping thanks to its verite style so we see some of the sensitive side of its main character, along with her quirky, domineering, and complicated sides. Dina, at 48, is working on a new relationship. Her first husband died of a cancer and sometime after that a “psycho” boyfriend stabbed her several times, but she’s picking herself up and moving forward. She has what used to be called “Aspergers Syndrome”. When she meets Scott, who is also autistic, they seem like a good match. We see their relationship unfold with Dina, having lived with a husband and then alone for years, coming into the relationship with more experience and with strong views about almost everything, including sex. Scott’s always lived with his parents and isn’t very comfortable with any form of affection. His timidity and her forwardness result in some awkward and heartbreaking discussions. Some of the scenes seem to run on too long, and some of them make me wonder how much this is really “direct cinema” and how much is prompted. Either way, it’s good to get a better glimpse of these two and their evolving love story as they inch toward becoming more intimate. It’s understandable that it won this year’s “U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary” at Sundance. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2017.)

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[2017. 101 min. Directed by Antonio Santini and Dan Sickles. With Dina Buno and Scott Levin.]
http://www.indiewire.com/2017/01/dina-review-autism-documentary-sundance-2017-1201771071/