I’m wrapping up my coverage of the 2026 Dialogues Documentary Festival with KIDS LIKE ME which was technically the first film I saw. DRAWING LINES and CHEYENNE featured women in male dominated fields. AMAZING LIVE SEA MONKEYS and KIDS LIKE ME focused on memorable people.
In this case the memorable person in question is Oliver. A 12-year-old with extreme physical but not mental disabilities. What’s most notable is how much Oliver is a normal 12-year-old with interests, he’s an extreme mystery enthusiast particularly of Tony Shaloub’s Monk, he has a supportive and involved mother and father, he has a younger sister, Willa, who he sometimes finds to be a pain in the neck, he has supportive teachers, and he has friends at school. He also wants to make a mystery movie which the documentary checks in on the progress of regularly.
I think the big thing that the directors Jon Cohrs and Cynthia Lowen do well is present a very balanced portrait. They perhaps aim for an optimistic take on Oliver’s life, but they present all the difficulties. His parents struggle monthly with insurance issues. Oliver isn’t always a saint, sometimes he lets his frustrations get the better of him and takes those emotions out, unfairly, on his sister. It’s only normal that he wants to run and play with the other kids and do normal things, and the filmmakers are careful to include that and not turn him into a stoic saint. He’s just a normal twelve-year-old at heart and the film has that normality as its subtext. That’s what make him special against everything that’s been stacked against him.
The film follows Oliver over the course of a full year. His last year before he turns into a teen and enters middle school. That’s a significant year to get to witness and they don’t miss much of note, although I’m sure it will just get harder as he gets nearer to adult-hood. And even when people mean to help and be supportive, it can be botched such as a bunch of overlooked details that make elementary school graduation not all it could be. Perhaps it’s nobody’s fault that they couldn’t foresee all of his obstacles, but it’s heartbreaking none the less.
But the film is not a bummer and it goes out of its way to end on a personal triumph. There’s a guest appearance that I will not spoil that makes everyone’s day. And we get to see glimpses of the final completed film shown to family and supportive friends. It’s a hopeful note to go out on, even if there are going to be many bumps in the road ahead. The fact that the film ignores neither the hope and support or the real difficulties it what makes it memorable.
The 2026 Dialogues Documentary Film Festival ran from September 24 to 27, 2026. Further information on the festival, and films that screened can be found at Milwaukee Film’s website.
