Godoy Talks About Freedom and Dance

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month and, to mark the occasion, director Jeannette Godoy has released a short film depicting the beautiful journey that children go on with dance group Free 2 Be Me Dance.

The group is exclusively for young people with Down Syndrome and offers them the opportunity to perform and express themselves through the medium of dance.

Godoy, who is signed with The Traveling Picture Show for commercials, was inspired to make the film after seeing the dancers perform at her daughter’s ballet recital.

A trained dancer herself, the director tells shots more about the emotional and uplifting project.

Why did you decide to make the film?

From the moment I saw the beautiful Free 2 Be Me dancers on stage, I just knew I had to tell their story. It was an incredibly visceral moment for me. Having been a dancer all my life, I could so easily relate to what they were feeling out there in front of the audience. The pure joy and pride they felt – it was an emotional performance for everyone in the room.

I made the film in the hope of changing perceptions and creating awareness about what people with Down Syndrome or any other disability are capable of achieving in life. As one of the parents so poignantly wrote to me, “we get nervous for our children before a performance and we want them to do well, just like any other parents.” I hope my film will show the world how important it is to give all people the opportunity to express themselves and to hear the applause of an audience.

Did you find you were affected emotionally when meeting the people in the film and hearing their stories?

Knowing these dancers and their families has changed my life. Prior to making this film, I had had very little experience with people with disabilities. The fact that they allowed me so intimately into their world was an honour and I have come to care about each one of them very deeply. The director of the dance programme, Colleen Perry, has become one of my best friends.

What were your favourite moments in the directing process?

Every single time I left a shoot with the dancers, I felt such a sense of purpose. It became imperative that I show the world how important it is for people with disabilities to have an opportunity for creative self-expression.  To see their happy faces at the end of class, when each one had the chance to get out in the middle of the room and do a solo, was incredibly joyful.

One shoot day in particular, Daisy, a young lady in the programme who struggled the most with movement and usually had to be helped by a volunteer, shuffled to the centre of the studio for her solo. She looked at herself in the mirror and suddenly started to pump her fist in the air to the beat of the music. That’s all she did, pump her fist. This was the most physical I had ever seen her be to date. And while she pumped her fist, a tiny little smile crept across her face. It was a profound moment of expression for someone who is predominately nonverbal. Very powerful and a moment I’ll never forget.

What were the biggest challenges in the directing process?

My biggest challenge in directing this film was making sure not to disturb the dancers in their classes. Many of them were very intrigued by the camera and would want to see what I was filming, so I had to be careful not to distract them while I was shooting.

How long did the project take and how difficult was it to show everything you wanted when it came to editing?

We shot the film for six months and then edited for another three. We had to cut a lot out which was difficult because I really could’ve told the story of each one of the dancers. Each of their lives and experiences with their disability was completely unique. But that would’ve been a mini-series, not a short film.

What sort of a response have you had from viewers? Is it what you expected?

Everyone who has seen the film has loved it; most importantly, the families of the dancers. They have written me such beautiful notes thanking me for showing just what their children are capable of accomplishing.

The film won the Audience Award at the 2014 Lighthouse Film Festival. How did this feel and did you think it would be recognised in this way?

To win was so gratifying. It meant that the film had an effect on people and that it stayed with them. But awards aside, I just want people to see this film and be inspired by the dancers, their families and the amazing woman who started the programme, Colleen Perry.

Tell us a bit about the style of the film and why you chose to shoot in this way…

We chose to shoot in the traditional documentary style and not go too far treating the footage in the edit because we didn’t want to distract from the story. It’s become standard practice for documentaries these days to have animation effected footage, and while I really like some of those techniques, they didn’t fit this film. This is an emotional story and needed to be told in a very intimate and real manner. I was very lucky to have my very talented cinematographer, Jeanne Vienne, on board for most of the shoot days.

How does the film compare to other projects you’ve directed?

Free 2 Be Me is my first longer format project. So in that sense it’s quite different.  I normally direct commercials. With that said, most of all my commercials are storytelling projects and so I felt totally comfortable continuing in that realm. I’m currently doing research to shoot another documentary and also trying to get the rights to a book that I want to shoot as an indie movie. It’s crucial to me to keep moving forward creatively.

You began your career as a dancer and choreographer. What do you think of the idea of a dance group for people with Down Syndrome?

In making this film, I became truly aware of just how beneficial dance is for all people. Of course, I always knew what it did for me personally. During the ups and downs of growing up, it was my emotional outlet. But to see these kids dance, when many of them cannot even really speak much, was enlightening. You could clearly tell how significantly the art of dance impacted their lives. It gave many of them a voice.