When an interabled queer couple spends the night together for the first time, they must confront their complex relationships with desire, sexuality, bodily autonomy, and what it means truly to love another person.

Interview with Director Daisy Friedman

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I'm a multi-organ transplant recipient, and I grew up never seeing any sort of media that centered around people that had the same fears and anxieties about my body. I wrote the original script when I was 17 during COVID and I was in this really intense period of isolation and self-exploration. Once it was all down on paper, I realized how important it was for me to show other people who had felt the same way I had throughout their whole lives that they were not alone. Before making the film, I don't think I realized the power of my own voice and the voices of those who have been consistently pushed aside and told our stories and our bodies aren't worthy enough to be seen and heard. I wanted to take the first step to change the status quo for myself and my communities so that when they see the film, they too believe they have the power to, both literally and figuratively, write their own stories.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

You should watch the film because it's a story that has not been given the opportunity to be uplifted on screen until now. It's important for people to stretch their conceptions of what a relationship looks like. I wrote it at the time I did because I was afraid no romantic partner would be as accepting of my body so I created characters that could do it and be a model for me. The film gives audiences a model of a truly communicative, thoughtful partnership in all of its rawness and vulnerability.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

The biggest themes of the piece are love, acceptance, vulnerability, and intimacy. When we go into a relationship of any kind, that is what we desire: acceptance for who we are. Disabled and queer people have entire histories of not being accepted for who they are by their friends, family, lovers and society at large. As a kid who grew up with pretty severe medical issues and heavy scarring from all of the surgeries, I would look at my peers and have this really intense fear that I would never find someone who would see my body and accept it for all of its differences. I think that fear is applicable not just to disabled kids, but queer kids, kids of color, and any other group that has been cast aside as undesirable. I also think there's a vulnerability to the intimate parts of the film that a lot of people connect with. There are a lot of sex scenes in films, but there aren't a lot of scenes of people talking about their fears and insecurities about having sex. Those are difficult conversations to have, and I think people really identify with the fear and excitement of those conversations.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

I was able to work with the actors a lot to get the story to a place of true authenticity. Though I've had lots of medical complications throughout my life, I've never been a wheelchair user. Bri Scalesse, the actress who plays Millie, and I had a lot of conversations about her experience with sex and intimacy as a physically disabled woman. We found a lot of overlap in our stories and through those conversations, I was able to create her character as someone who was really grounded in both of our lived experiences. I also worked a lot with our intimacy coordinator, Acacia Dëqueer, on how to portray this relationship with sensitivity and treat both of their bodies with respect. We talked a lot about power dynamics and the importance of showing both characters as individuals who could give and take both physically and emotionally in the relationship. We went through a lot of iterations of the argument scene in order to get the power dynamics and conflict-resolution skills of the characters perfect. The film would not have been half as sensitive and thought-provoking without the help of them.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The biggest piece of feedback I've gotten so far on the film is that people say they've never seen a story like this. They've never seen an interabled couple, let alone an interabled queer couple on screen before. I never really intended the film to be anything ground-breaking. I just wrote a story about the emotions I experienced and the people I wanted to experience them with. People are also surprised to hear that I was so young when I shot the film. I think people really underestimate the place of depth and wisdom in which young people can tell stories. There have been a lot of instances where I ask older writers their advice to young writers and they often tell me not to write till I have enough life experience. While I believe that to some extent, this film showed me that my life experiences allowed me to create a film that has resonated with people so much.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

I wasn't necessarily shocked at the fact that people had never seen an interabled queer couple on screen before, but I was surprised with how much it resonated with people that aren't disabled or queer. It has given me a deeper realization about how much people, at their core, really want to be accepted for who they are regardless of the life experience they come into a relationship with.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

I am hoping the film will gain more visibility from people not only in the LGBTQ+ and disabled communities, but also other people looking for new work that reimagines a more inclusive entertainment landscape. I hope to meet and collaborate with other young filmmakers and strengthen my commitment to creating change through film.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

We need distributors and festival directors to come forward and bring this film to a wider audience. Streaming platforms are the greatest avenue to get recognition from a large number of people. The more people view this film, the higher the likelihood that people who have never seen themselves represented on screen will be given a chance to see characters that resemble their lived experiences.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I want to broaden people's perspectives of what love is and can be. After coming away from this film, I want people to see that there is power in the vulnerability of disabled bodies and queer bodies. I hope that after this film, people begin to reorient their view of disabled and queer people to be one of joy rather than shame or pity. I hope this film holds a place in the canon of new emerging media from disabled and queer creatives that are dedicated to creating diverse, authentic stories about our communities.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

How does interdependence strengthen the intimate connection of an interabled couple? OR How do we allow others to help us rebuild our relationship with our bodies while still empowering ourselves?

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Daisy Friedman (writer/director) is currently writing her second short film titled One Matzo Ball, Or Two. She is also working on an adaptation of a memoir to be turned into a limited series. Eve Robitshek (producer) is currently working on producing a short film, I'll See You In My Dreams, that will be touring the festival circuit next season.

Interview: June 2023

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

As You Are

Length: 14:42

Director: Daisy Friedman

Producer: Justine Sweetman

Writer: Daisy Friedman

About the writer, director and producer:

DAISY FRIEDMAN Daisy Friedman is a writer and director based out of New York City. Daisy is interested in exploring the complex relationship between embodiment, disfigurement, and desirability of underrepresented communities through film. Her short film, As You Are (2022), has screened at various prestigious film festivals such as Frameline, Outfest, and The National Film Festival For Talented Youth. She received the 2023 Collin Higgins Youth Foundation Grant. Daisy currently attends Barnard College of Columbia University as a Film Studies major.

JUSTINE SWEETMAN is a creative producer based in Queens, New York. She is the founder and owner of REALnew Collective, a production company and film collective dedicated to supporting and empowering women, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC creatives. Her producing credits include How to Raise a Black Boy (2021, NOWNESS premiere, Filmmaker-to-Watch Award Atlanta Film Festival 2021), A Woman Eats (2020, NoBudge Audience Award 2020), and The Agent (2022, that premiered at Atlanta Film Festival 2022).

Key cast: Bri Scalesse (Millie) Estefania Giraldo (Piper)

Looking for: distributors, sales agents, buyers, journalists

Instagram: @asyouarefilm

Made in association with: RealNew Collective

Funders: GoFundMe

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?

Frameline Film Festival (June 18th, San Fransisco), Inside Out Film Festival (June 3rd, Toronto), Berkshire International Film Festival (June 2nd, Great Barrington)