The Film
Director's Statement
Shawn’s story is one of resilience in motion and shows us how to take our life experiences to become who we are truly meant to be. We all have choice in the face of fear and trauma. For the last five years, I’ve been let into Shawn’s world to capture the journey of healing unfold and her quest to live life with purpose and joy. I’m grateful and humbled by Shawn’s bravery, vulnerability and trust.
I first met Shawn while on assignment for ESPN in 2015. During our interview, I was struck by her story as a single mother with two young children, losing her complete vision and just trying to stay afloat in her new reality. As a new mother myself, her story stayed with me and in 2019 I contacted Shawn to hear her thoughts on the idea of a documentary. She had just quit racing professionally and finished her historic Grand Canyon crossing. Shawn liked the idea of working together and since then it’s been a true collaborative process in crafting an authentic narrative of her truth being told.
The time we spent together, before the filming even started, sharing and listening to each other’s stories not only resonated with my experiences but really changed my life. I felt obligated to share her story, not only with the disabled community and trauma survivors but, just as importantly, with the able-bodied community to create awareness of others’ realities and the roles we play in it as allies or obstacles. I've seen firsthand the power of Shawn’s words and the affect she has on people she meets, from all walks of life, and the immediate connection they feel with her.
The trust and understanding that Shawn and I have for each other has made this film possible. There has always been constant communication of safety, both emotionally and physically, and whether a line should or should not be crossed. From the beginning, Shawn has been involved in creative talks with animators and editors to help them understand her POV and experience better. My hope is that by interweaving her POV through animation and sound design, we'll create a window into her world as a blind woman living with Complex PTSD.
Given the film's sensitive and intimate nature, especially involving her family, we always had a consent waiver signed for any subject that participated in the film prior to filming. We were transparent and communicated our desire to hear their unique perspective, with no agenda or outcome. They were in control of what and how they wanted to share their story. I also worked with a PTSD advisor on the interview practices and possible triggers.
Shawn's story explores topics of disability/inclusion, PTSD/mental health, domestic abuse and women’s empowerment. Our vision is to cultivate impact campaigns at grassroot levels to ensure that Shawn's story is amplified and accessible to a diverse, expansive audience. Making the film accessible in audio description and closed captioning is an integral part of Blind AF and Shawn will be involved in the process. The accessibility features will be deliberate, meaningful, artistic and true to the film experience.