Director Rodney Ascher takes viewers on a chilling, true-life journey in his latest endeavor, "Ghost Boy", which is based on the autobiographical book by Martin Pistorius. Pistorius, a South African author and renowned speaker, survived a locked-in syndrome, a condition that held him captive in his paralyzed body but with a fully functional mind.
"Ghost Boy" starts with 12-year-old Pistorius living an ordinary life in suburban Johannesburg. By all accounts, he appears to be a typical boy. However, everything changes when he falls ill and becomes both physically paralyzed and mentally isolated. He describes this experience as waking up a ghost, a sensation powerfully recreated by Ashe.
Using film excerpts, archival footage and dramatic reenactments, Ascher vividly conveys Pistorius' prolonged nightmare. Pistorius' experience includes facing ignorance and abuse at a facility where he was comatose, compassion from his father, and abandonment from his shocked and depressed mother. This tragic narrative is powerfully bookended by interviews with the present-day Pistorius, a computer-voiced system replacing the voice he lost.
The film also highlights the challenges Pistorius faced. These included seeing Barney & Friends repeatedly at the clinic, an experience he calls "monstrous torture", and the humiliation faced in his helplessness. His spirit, however, never succumbs entirely to despair. Glimmers of hope become visible, particularly when a thoughtful nurse believes in his consciousness despite his physical state.
Thanks to this unyielding determination and belief, Pistorius is gradually awakened from his trapped state. He learns to communicate through picture cards and eventually computers, expressing himself more effectively as he ages. The film culminates in the reflective, articulate prose of Pistorius' book and his present life.
Unlike Ascher's previous works, "Ghost Boy" strikingly depicts a surreal reality. Pistorius' extensive trapped experience feels almost like an out-of-body experience for viewers. He describes reaching out to God at his lowest point, being referred to as an "imbecile" by those supposed to care for him.
A triumphant twist to the narrative reveals Pistorius as the man he is today, able to shine light on his dark past with impressive clarity. He ends with, “I have come from a terrible darkness", signifying his strength despite adversity.
