Our interview with Diana Elizabeth Jordan is the first in first in our series of interviews with the filmmakers of “I Can,” which is part of the 2019 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. You can watch the film below. Film challenge participants write, shoot, and edit a shirt film in 55 hours. The goal is to raise visibility for people with disabilities who work in the entertainment industry, on both sides of the camera.
Diana Elizabeth Jordan is an actor who lives and works in Los Angeles. Her work on “I Can” makes her the first woman of color with Cerebral Palsy to direct a film. Thank you, Diana, for being on The Negatives!
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Oak Park, Illinois which is a suburb right outside of Chicago.
Where did you go to school?
I graduated from The University of Kansas with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater and Media Arts. And several year later I went back to school and obtained my Masters Of Fine Arts in Acting from California State University Long Beach.
What made you pursue film making?
I have always known I wanted to be an actor but my desire to be a filmmaker has come within the past few years. I think of lot of my desire to be an actor and filmmaker came from working with The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. Acting gives me an amazing feeling but being a filmmaker (directing, producing) gives me decision making power. The mission of The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge ( founded by director, producer Nic Novicki) is to increase the visibility of disabled artists behind and in front of the camera. When I make a film whether it be for The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge or other films I hope to work on in the future, I can ensure the diverse images of disability will be an inclusive and visible on any film I work on.
What roadblocks did you face when you were starting out?
I will take that from an acting stand point because I am still relatively new to being a filmmaker. As actor when I first started out I think the biggest barrier I faced were attitudinal. I would often hear “your good but how do we cast you?” or “there won’t be many parts for you” To me it was always a matter of perspective.
That being said though I also had some great experiences when I first began acting. I was cast in many roles where my disability was incidental to the character or storyline and I am very grateful for that. As far as the obstacles I might face as a filmmaker, I will face them, deal with them, take a deep breath and keep on going.
Tell us about your film, “I Can.”
I am actually going to share our film tagline. I don’t like to give too much away “I Can” is about a young woman (Jennifer Bevans) who is haunted by friends and family and must figure out if it is something sinister, or is there a larger meaning behind it all…
Tell us about your directorial approach to “I Can.”
My directorial approach is still very much in process but when working with Aaron Sander’s script (our writer) I’d visualize how I wanted to scenes to look. I had pictures of all of our locations and that helped me to see blocking moves in my head. I also talked to Sara Garth (Our DP) I wanted to know how she liked to shoot and what she needed from me to make the day run as smoothly as possibly. As far as my actors go I wanted to give guidance but also wanted to create for them a safe space where they could do what they do best act.
Can you tell us about a funny anecdote regarding an actor that you had worked with?
Well we were lucky enough to get actor Mather Zinckel to being our film, I loved watching him work but there were times I was so blown away by what he was doing, I would forget to say cut.
Do you have any advice for young film makers out there?
Just do it. Now more than ever it is easier for an aspiring filmmaker to make a film. You can shoot a film on an I phone. Seek out mentors and ask questions. Ask questions, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, find resources, read books, watch youtube videos on filmmaking. Hopefully you’ll find a good mentor like I have found in Cory Reeder (award winning producer and director) who I have worked with on The Easterseals Film Challenge films for the past 5 years. No matter what you do, just do it.
Which film has inspired you the most?
I think it was seeing Sounder for the first time. I saw Cicely Tyson for the first time. I thought she was and still is amazing.
Which particular film maker has influenced you the most?
Most definitely Ava Durvenay. I watched several interviews by her when I was prepping to direct “I Can.”
Which book would you love to make a film out of one day?
I don’t know if there is a particular book per say, but there are many untold stories from Disability History and The Disability Civil Rights Movement that need to be told. I would love to make a film about that someday.