What is the true story behind Netflix's Makayla's Voice: A Letter to the World? Explained

Makayla's Voice: A Letter to the World is a short documentary film about a 14-year-old black girl with a unique form of autism that renders her unable to communicate verbally with the world. Yes, the 23-minute movie is based on a true story — it portrays Makayla's real-life struggles to communicate with anyone, including her parents. It premieres on Netflix on December 11, 2024.

Her parents were on a mission to understand Makayla's inner world. Filled with the unwavering belief that they could one day communicate with their daughter, Makayla's Voice: A Letter to the World chronicles her extraordinary journey and gives an insight into her thoughts.

In the Netflix documentary, Makayla plays herself. Her speaking voice, however, isn't her own. With the help of director Julio Palacio, she selected the person who would voice her in the movie.

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How Makayla was able to communicate her thoughts in Makayla's Voice: A Letter to the World

Eight months before the documentary was to be filmed, Makayla began working with letter board therapy as a way to help her communicate her thoughts and feelings to the outside world. Thanks to her therapist, Makayla was finally able to share her experiences. Besides her poetic choice of words, Palacio has also captured her feelings through the use of animation.

Letter board therapy is a form of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and is often used with people to help them communicate their needs, thoughts, and feelings.

A board with all the letters and numbers is given to the non-speaker. They point out the letters and form words using these letters to communicate what they want to say.

The choice of her words combined with the use of animation brings to life the complex visual elements of her thoughts. Viewers are treated to a visually appealing rendition of her take on Van Gogh's painting, Starry Night. She sees the world through a unique lens.

Makayla's Voice: A Letter to the World effectively bridges the gap of understanding between autistic and non-autistic individuals. It captures the story of a neurodiverse person and helps us understand their everyday challenges in communicating and experiencing the world.

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Makayla communicates to the audience through letter board therapy (Image via Netflix)

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More about Makayla's Voice: A Letter to the World

Despite being only 14 years old, Makayla comes across as an intelligent woman with a deep understanding of the world we live in. The thought-provoking documentary is one of the few films of its kind to tell the story of an autistic person solely from their point of view.

This movie accords the respect and sensitivity needed to showcase the challenges and complexities of an autistic individual. It also proves that a lack of verbal communication does not equate someone to being unintelligent. Makayla strives to be an advocate for autism and those who haven't found their voice.

Besides Makayla portraying her journey and challenges, the movie also features interviews with her parents and therapist. Palacio reportedly wrote the script for this documentary using Makayla Cain's 140-page letter board session transcripts.

In the official trailer of Makayla's Voice: A Letter to the World, she says:

"The most beautiful sound I ever heard is the empty way the air flows between the trees. The sound goes unnoticed by most. But to me, it sings. It creates melodies that resemble my own silence."

The film won Best Documentary Short at the Tribeca Film Festival 2024. Academy Award winner Roger Ross Williams, Khari Cain, Mañana Cain, Rostam Zafari, and Dylan Mulick executive produced this documentary. Palacio is known for directing another documentary called Not the Science Type and the action drama short movie, The Crossing.

Makayla's Voice: A Letter to the World premiers on Netflix on December 11, 2024.