Filmmaker Statement

Because of the situation in my country, Venezuela, my family and friends were forced to emigrate. A couple of months ago, I decided to travel to Panama and tell the story of my childhood best friend who became wheelchair bound due to medical malpractice at birth. Growing up, Jonathan was like a brother to me, and since I can remember, his family asked me to be aware of his special needs yet never give him a "special treatment." Dark humor was a big element inside his household and the main reason why he defies his physical limitations. Because they were used to seeing me with a camera in my hand throughout my life, I was able to become a fly on the wall and capture the intimacy of his family's dynamics. It's a true honor for me to tell Jonathan's story and show the world a different side of disability. "Underpinning the beauty of the film is the fact that family, whether biological or created, is a space in which we come to know ourselves."- Danielle Mackey, The New Yorker.