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
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.