New Documentary Demystifies Dyslexia 

Iyke Bede

Following its outing at last month’s iREP International Documentary Film Festival, a new documentary on dyslexia ‘Genius in Disguise: Demystifying Dyslexia’ held its private screening recently at the Ebonylife Place, Victoria Island, Lagos.  

Dyslexia, a neurological disorder that affects an individual’s ability to read, write, and spell, is a common learning disability that affects the academic, social, and emotional development of millions of Nigerian children and adults, and often goes undiagnosed throughout their lives.

Directed and produced by award-winning filmmaker James Amuta, the documentary sheds light on this issue and raises awareness about the challenges faced by dyslexic individuals and their families. It features interviews with dyslexic persons, parents, teachers, and experts, who share their experiences and insights on this often-overlooked topic.

“This is a film that I learnt a lot from. It’s one of the most responsible films I’ve made,” Amuta said. “40 million Nigerians have dyslexia, and 98 per cent of them don’t even know that they have it. The number is a lot, but the information about dyslexia is so small.”

Centring on Doyin, Jaden, and Biodun, the trio, in great detail, journeys the audience through the difficult twists and turns in the Nigerian educational system where there is little or no knowledge of dyslexia by professionals at all levels, making it difficult for schools to simulate an enabling environment for learning for people with the condition.

The documentary further cautions that the condition is not a reflection of intelligence or a lack of effort by affected individuals and that symptoms of dyslexia occur in a spectrum. It explains that dyslexic people can have strengths in other areas, such as creativity, problem-solving, and visual-spatial reasoning.

“With tailored support and intervention, dyslexic people can learn to read and write effectively” Amuta opined. This ideology has spurred him to begin conscientising teachers and parents through various future advocacy programs that will be led by stakeholders of various institutions.

“’Genius in Disguise’ will change the entire educational system; we plan on educating parents, teachers, and as well as students on the basics of what they need to understand. See, parents have been dealing with children that they don’t understand. ‘Why is this child always coming back home with poor grades?’ They are frustrated. Teachers, on the other hand, will keep wondering why these children aren’t learning like their peers.”

Amuta believes that with the new documentary, “It is not too late to begin educating people on dyslexia.”