We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chanthen Nene. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chanthen below.
Chanthen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I am cowriting a story about dealing with Nystagmus in South Asian communities and life I find it meaningful as it is the story of my life.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I was drawn to the film industry because of my desire to show better representation of people with disabilities. I wanted to prove that having a visual impairment doesn’t bar anyone from a career in the film industry. Even within the Visually impaired community I believe I stand out due to my condition called Nystagmus, which is a condition that causes my eyes to shake from side to side without my control. The first project I worked on in a professional capacity was as an assistant director on my sister’s short film called Kurta Pants. Something that I am particularly proud of is my work with the Department for the Blind and Vision impaired in Virginia where I was born and raised. While receiving services from the Department of the Blind and Vision Impaired, I attended several programs that taught me independent living skills and gave me a secure connection to the visually impaired community, as a matter of fact I will be a Keynote speaker at one such event in October in Massanutten Va. All these life experiences have given me the inspiration to start writing a short film about life with Nystagmus and then branch outwards to other disabilities. I am currently co-writing that short story with my sister, Chhaya Nene. I recently was accepted into the Disability Belongs Entertainment Lab where I will collaborate with other creatives with disabilities on how best to write characters with disabilities.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect is finding out that your art or I suppose in my case, film, has helped someone in some way.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My goal is to create a film company that hires people with disabilities to work as both in front of and behind the camera. I want someone who is completely blind or completely deaf or has a disability that society thinks couldn’t possible be a actor to act to have the chances to prove them wrong.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chanthennenefilmdirector/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009250345721
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chanthennene/
- Twitter: https://x.com/chanthenn
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChanthenNenecooks
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=4SlgOxivoING6ZUS2R-6Qw
