Christine McGuinness: Unmasking My Autism; The Piano

“Frustrating and instructive in equal measure, Unmasking My Autism was an important film about a condition too many women and girls are struggling with on their own. I hope watching this, some of them felt less alone.”
Emily Baker, The i

“It seems obvious from the two documentaries she has made that McGuinness has found her calling in life. You could see the connection between her and the autistic girls she spoke to, how they visibly relaxed in each other’s company. After years of faking being “normal”, it must be a colossal relief to just be allowed to be you.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“If the purpose of a documentary is to throw light on a subject, then this one was exemplary. Christine explained the many ways in which autism can manifest itself, but which are not immediately apparent to others. Sensory issues mean she prefers beige food and feels anxious in noisy places. She has a wardrobe of clothes bought not because she liked them, but because they fit the different “roles” she played in certain situations. A text message from a friend casually inviting her for lunch the following day would throw her into panic: “What time? Where? What are we eating? What are we wearing? Who’s going? How long am I there for? What time am I getting home?””
Anita Singh, Telegraph

Christine revealed she had suffered abuse and violence in her teens. Later, alone with the camera, she said this began when she was just nine years old. ‘I used to pray every night that I wouldn’t wake up,’ she said, ‘just because it was so awful.’ There’s no doubting her bravery in talking about this. I have my doubts about the wisdom of broadcasting it, though we have to assume she was happy to do so. Still, anyone can see how fragile she is, in the aftermath of her separation from her husband, TV star Paddy. She alluded to their break-up repeatedly. I trust the production team is giving her the support she will need, after so much soul-baring.
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“The Piano reached its finale with a concert at the Royal Festival Hall. The four amateur pianists chosen at auditions in railway stations were on the bill. “They have just a few weeks…” said presenter Claudia Winkleman, inevitably. The jeopardy of a deadline is always built into shows of this type. This has been a delightful series that succeeded because the charm and talent of the participants outweighed the manipulative behaviour of the programme-makers.”
Anita Singh, Telegraph

“This has been a delightful show, packed with emotion and talent. The finale proved an anti-climax — it lacked the variety and sense of surprise that made the auditions so entertaining. But it was wonderful to watch the audience falling rapt under the spell of blind 13-year-old Lucy, who made Debussy’s Arabesque shimmer.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail