1210. Community Spotlight - Paula Jones

In this "Ask the Expert, Community Spotlight" episode, Krissy
Dilger of SRNA was joined by Paula Jones, a filmmaker from New
Zealand, who discussed her journey with transverse myelitis (TM)
and how it has impacted her life and career [00:01:34]. She
shared her diagnosis story, detailing the sudden onset of
symptoms and the challenges she faced during and after her
hospital stay [00:02:26]. Paula talked about her struggles with
acceptance, the financial difficulties she faced, and her
determination to continue her work [00:07:00]. She also
introduced her show, "Spinal Destination," which draws on her
experiences and aims to bring the disabled community into
mainstream media [00:13:51].





"Spinal Destination" from Whitiora Productions is currently
streaming in New Zealand:


https://www.skygo.co.nz/show/mac_sh_136130


https://whitioraproductions.com/whitiora-productions





Please note: The following trailer is intended for adult
audiences:


https://youtu.be/BooV5W3Cmt8?feature=shared





Paula Jones started her screen career at the age of 26 in
documentaries and was renowned for telling socially impactful
stories. Gang Girls, one of her most acclaimed projects, explores
the lives of women in New Zealand gangs. Since becoming paralyzed
in 2010 by a rare autoimmune illness, she started her own company
with two friends and made three more docos, two in Palestine and
one in Cambodia.





In 2016, Paula shifted sideways into drama, writing and directing
two short films, A Matter of Time and Yellow Roses. Both films
travelled to international festivals. She also wrote and directed
the TVNZ comedy "I Date Rejects" and was one of nine Māori women
film makers who made the feature film Waru, an anthology telling
a story surrounding the child abuse and death of an
eight-year-old child. Paula co-wrote and co-directed WHINA, a
feature film about Māori pioneer Dame Whina Cooper, a crusader
who, at the age of 80, traversed the length of the North
Island--1,100 km from the Far North to Wellington--to protest
against the continuing loss of Māori land. Her latest works are
co-writing and co-directing "Testify," an evangelical church
family drama for Warners NZ, and her comedy series "Spinal
Destination," based on her time in the Spinal Unit. She has a
master's in creative writing from AUT and is the Director of
Whitiora Productions Ltd., and is also mother of three grown
children and grandmother of one.