There’s someone out there for everyone

The first European man with Down Syndrome to earn a university degree, 34-year-old Daniel (Pablo Pineda) lands a social services office job. The film resonates around some overlooked social themes as viewers are suddenly warped into Daniel’s normal and very relatable life. Despite exceeding his career-related expectations, Daniel experiences overwhelming difficulty and confusion in his search for female companionship.

At work, he meets a seemingly vibrant and lighthearted, but deeply vulnerable and troubled Laura (Lola Duenas). Laura, who admits she has never “made love,” lives a tainted life where alcohol and sex are attempts for veiling her broken relationship with her family. As Daniel and Laura both find themselves ostracized from society for their own reasons, they form a bond which is beautifully romantic yet unreservedly confusing for them and viewers.

The shaky shots and recurring scenes of silence speak to the movie’s “independent” nature which is very well-executed. However, the dialogue from Laura is sometimes so unexpected that the viewer can almost predict that her exchange with other characters will be the opposite of what it seems would make sense. This extremity, maybe in hopes of poetizing the film, could also distance it from a convincing reality.

Perhaps most interesting about the film is that the main character’s life is quite similar in real life. Pineda really was the first man with Down syndrome in Europe to obtain a university degree, specifically a Bachelor’s in Educational Psychology.

In a 2002 interview with Documentos TV, Pineda explained his mission as an actor, “First, I do not consider that Down syndrome is a disease. For me it is a personal characteristic. I am fine and healthy. We must not be treated as sick…there are reactions like pity, the misconception that we are not intelligent, and a long list of social and moral incorrect misconceptions…I am just doing my part and demonstrating that I am as competent as anyone.”

Viewers take a break from Daniel’s troubles as the movie deviates into its sub-plot, following a couple with Down Syndrome (Daniel Parejo and Lourdes Naharro) who, quite oppositely from Daniel’s relationship with Laura, define themselves undoubtedly as soul mates. The scenes between the two are improvisational, convincing and extraordinarily well-captured, subtly hinting at that which Daniel cannot truly understand, as his brother tells him, “No woman with 46 chromosomes is ever going to love you.”

When asked what message he would like to send to society, Pineda explained, “I would like to become an example. I want to demonstrate that if one puts into work whatever one is able, you can do what you want. But beside what I was able to achieve, I also expect society to do its part. I do not want this to be a one-way effort…If you are the one who is setting up the barriers, you are then destroying possibilities for others.”

Although sardonically sprinkled with humor, “Me Too” is a call to action for an issue without any technical solution. More specifically, it is an attempt to show that despite one’s disabilities, everyone has the basic human need of affection, sex and whatever love is. Daniel’s character successfully reiterates the need for adult companionship for people with disabilities, who are often infantilized and thereby believed to not necessitate that which is such a pivotal part of human existence. ?