Deep in rural Cornwall, autistic Thomas loves to read. Retreating from a world he finds sensorily challenging, he spends all day buried in books, telling himself stories of heroes and epic quests. When a flying football starts a new friendship with sporty Agnes, Thomas initially finds it hard to relate and let her into his world. This distance between them means that Agnes becomes bored with Thomas’ storytelling, forcing Thomas to use his incredible creativity to make new stories for them both. Through their burgeoning relationship, he learns how to express himself creatively, empathise and learn from others, making his unique experience of the world around him more understandable and manageable. SPINES is the first BFI NETWORK funded film to have an autistic director and lead actor.