DOI: 10.20375/0000-0011-489b-e
title: Sanctuary

description: Abstract: 
Larry and Sophie long for a romantic relationship, even if they have to fight the social and legal restrictions that society imposes on them because of their intellectual disability. But, as they secretly convince their care worker to arrange some time alone, the plan runs less smoothly than they think. While enjoying some unsupervised liberty and fulfilling their romantic aspirations, some troubles and concerns await everyone along the way. 

Details: 
Larry and Sophie are two adults with intellectual disabilities. Larry has Down syndrome and lives with his mother, who still treats him like a child, while Sophie has severe epilepsy and lives at a housing facility. They know each other because they spend time at a centre caring for people with disabilities. They were employed to do some minor work until now, but they received the terrible news that they won’t be receiving any work. So instead, some “fun activities” will take place, for which they will not be paid anymore. Disappointed, they protest and ask if they were not doing a good job, and Tom, their care worker, answers straight forward that the problem was that no one was willing to pay them properly. 
Larry and Sophie are attracted to each other and want to spend an afternoon alone in a hotel room, so he saves some money and turns to Tom for the arrangement. He reluctantly takes the bribe and agrees to arrange it for them on the same day, on which he is taking the rest of the group to the movie theatre. 
The entire group goes off to the movie theatre. During the movie, Sophie, Larry, and Tom find an excuse to get out of the theatre and head to the hotel, where Tom knows a friend at the reception that gets them a room. Once they are up there, Larry discloses to Tom his intentions of having sex with Sophie and asks him for a condom. However, the law in Ireland forbids people with intellectual disabilities to have sex outside of wedlock; therefore, Tom tries to convince him not to. Larry gets angry and questions the law, asking if it was different if he was “normal.” In the end, he manages to convince Tom to give him a condom, asks him for instructions on how to use it, and sends him away. 
Meanwhile, one of Larry and Sophie’s colleagues, Andrew, gets out and starts stealing candies from the bar at the theatre. Others follow him outside, alarmed by the fact that their supervisor has gone missing, and begin wandering the streets. Only two of them, a man and a woman also affected by intellectual disabilities, stayed and watched the movie. She’s attracted to him, but he’s too shy and doesn’t like flirting. However, he makes her smile by telling her that she doesn’t need to be a movie star and that she’s much better just as she is.
At the hotel, Sophie surprises Larry with a beautiful dress. Then, they start dancing, but suddenly, Sophie sits down with a sad expression and confesses to Larry that she was abused at her previous housing facility. After her confession, they start kissing. However, when she realizes that Larry wants to have sex with her, she gets angry and wants to leave, even though he apologizes and tells her that he loves her. Finally, he gets her to forgive him by making her laugh with some dance moves. After that, she changes her mind and tells him she wants to make love.
Tom gets to the theatre and discovers that many people from the group are gone. He tries to call them, but they don’t answer, so he looks for them. While two of them are walking around at a mall, the other two are at a bar drinking beer. Claire, Tom’s friend from the hotel, joins him during his desperate search. Unfortunately, he misunderstands her intentions, and she rejects him when he tries to kiss her. Meanwhile, the other two, still at the movies, finally kiss. 
By the time Tom gathered the other four group members, the movie was over, and he lost track of the two who had remained there. Then, finally, he finds them with a guard, who accuses him of leaving people with disabilities wandering off the streets without supervision.
Meanwhile, Larry and Sophie get into a discussion at the hotel because they have just had unprotected sex. For instance, Larry starts overthinking the consequences of getting Sophie pregnant. They reflect on how they would like to start a family together if all the legal and social obstacles against their relationship disappeared. 
As the group starts wondering where Larry and Sophie are, Tom takes everyone to pick them up to the hotel room. When they arrive at the room, they find out that the couple had unprotected sex. The situation becomes even more severe when Andrew starts accusing Sophie of having loose morals, and she has a seizure due to the champagne she drank, which messed with her medication. Despite the many complications, the group had fun enjoying the liberty. Therefore, they all decide to keep this episode to themselves to be able to do it again. However, while Tom is gone to look for the seventh group’s component, the others call the hospital to help Sophie with her seizure. The end scene shows everyone quiet on the bus on the way back home, especially Tom, who looks very concerned about the trouble he’s about to face.