Barrie girl creates film to raise awareness about ADHD
Arianna Goarley, a 16-year-old from Barrie, is using her creativity to raise awareness about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
The teenager produced, directed, and wrote a short film titled 'The Tea Party,' which recreates the famous tea party scene from Alice in Wonderland.
The film is an educational experience, as each character portrays a characteristic of ADHD.
Goarley, who was diagnosed with ADHD a couple of years ago, has done extensive research to understand the disorder.
"I picked out things not only from my own life but from what I see in articles, and that was a really good way for me to understand more about myself," she said.
"Boys are often diagnosed when they're five or six in kindergarten or any point in elementary school, and it's loud and moving around and stuff. But in girls, it's more that they're in their own head, and they space out, which isn't as obvious as a problem to people," Goarley noted.
'The Tea Party' is a film created by a Barrie, Ont. high school student's battle with ADHD. (Supplied)
The cast and crew of the film include people who deal with ADHD daily, making the story feel as authentic as possible.
"I have ADHD, and I know how it feels to get distracted by everything and not really know what's going on 100 per cent of the time," said The Tea Party actress Anna Goldsmith.
The film has been a life-changing experience for Goarley, and she hopes that it will help others better understand the struggles of ADHD.
"If people are squirming around in their seats or not paying attention or scribbling on their page, it's not because they're being disrespectful or they're antsy. There's lots of layers into why that happens," the young director said.
The Grade 11 student who plans to study creative industries at university has created three short films during her high school years and said while this film focused on the struggles associated with ADHD, she would like her next one to be about the positives.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.