“If I could change one thing about the film industry, it would be the pace.
For a long time, I thought the problem was that I wasn’t keeping up. Then COVID gave us the chance to experience what happens when the world slows down.
I remember thinking, “Oh. This is the right pace for me.”
There was more compassion, more patience, and more room to think. I felt creatively liberated. My first feature, which I was working on during that time, would have been a very different film without that spaciousness. We slowed down in the edit, connected as a team, and gave the film time to reveal itself.
Some projects genuinely need to move quickly. But it’s worth wondering what is lost when speed becomes the default. What might become possible if we slowed down enough to make room for other kinds of minds, bodies, and creative processes?
On that note, it’s been incredibly encouraging to see the DSO come into being. One of the most meaningful parts has been meeting other film professionals who, like me, are finding ways to navigate this wild industry while living with visible and invisible disabilities.”
Nisha is a queer director and experimental filmmaker in Vancouver. Her films meld sounds and imagery that you can dream and drown in, exploring themes of disability, queerness, youth and healing. She studied at the EICTV film school in Cuba and loves to process super8 and 16mm films in the darkroom.
In 2024, Nisha was a member of the DSO delegation to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Learn more about Nisha’s work at melodiousimage.com and irisfilmcollective.com.
DSO Spotlight is our way of celebrating the contributions of disabled creatives across the screen industry and making space for their work to be seen and valued. Share this article to help us amplify Nisha’s work!
