Diversity Rules Magazine

April 2021

Diversity Rules Magazine - _lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning_

Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1357831

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 3 of 23

Suzanne Guacci is a former New York State Trooper who lost her leg in the line of duty in 2001 and went on to become an award-winning writer/director, and producer. Suzanne created Aspire Pro- duc ons in 2007 to tell authen c char- acter-driven films about the LGBTQ and disabled communi- es. Her films have screened at fes vals all over the world including Framline, Ou est, and BFI. Currently, Aspire Films can be seen on various pla orms including Amazon Prime, cable, VOD, and broadcast television worldwide. In 2018 Suzanne was the recipient of the dis n- guished Ravenel Feature Film Grant for her feature film, T11 Incomplete. T11 Incomplete is currently on the fes val circuit and will be having its US pre- miere at Ou est. Suzanne's award-winning film STUFF (2015) was acquired by Gravitas Ventures. Her award-winning documentary on amputee children called My Real- ly Cool Legs (2012) was acquired by Breakthrough Pictures for a compila on of the Best Short Lesbian Films of 2009. Suzanne's script Puddles and Pools was a semifinal in the Sundance Screenplay Compe on (2010) and her most recent script Candy Palace was a finalist in The Writer's Lab Screenplay Compe on (2017). She is currently producing the indie com- edy One Moment starring the late Danny Aiello. Suzanne is a proud member of NYWIFT. She holds a BA in English Literature and a Master's Degree in Public Administra on. JRK: Before we get into the interview, can you tell readers a bit about Suzanne Guacci? SG: I was NY State Trooper and I lost my leg in the line of duty many years ago and so that most certain- ly was my own "T11" My world changed drama cally when I lost my leg. And now, as a writer and director, I do feel a great responsibility in my work, to bring forth stories about disability. JRK: You are the director of T11 Incomplete. Can you tell us about that project and what the film is about? SG: T11 Incomplete is a story with a disability at its center. The term "T11 Incomplete" refers to the point of severing on the spine that causes paraplegia, but being an "incomplete" paraplegic means that the pa- ent s ll has some feeling, they are not completely numb. In our story T11 Incomplete, each character has their own literal or metaphorical "T11." A point in their life where an injury or severing occurred that altered and changed the direc on of their lives forever and yet, each character s ll can feel. No one is complete- ly numb. This is a parallel theme for each character in our story and the ques on ul mately becomes, who is the more broken of the bunch? The body that's broken or the spirit that's broken? JRK: Can you enlighten readers more about what the "incomplete" part of the movie's tle means? SG: An "incomplete" paraplegic s ll has some feel- ing, they are not completely numb. And it is perhaps the only circumstance in life when one is labeled "in- complete" that it is a posi ve thing. That was the star ng point in wri ng this story be- cause we, collec vely as human beings, are all "in- complete." Through the ba les of life, we all have had our "T11" either metaphorically or severed; be it by failure, illness, addic on, divorce, death, aban- donment, or like Laura in the film, a literal severing of the spine. Each of us has had a "severing" that has stopped us dead in our tracks, damaging and chang- ing us forever. 4 | Diversity Rules Magazine | Apr 2021 A Conversation With Suzanne Guacci Empowering Disability and Possibility By Jim Koury, Editor/Publisherr

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Diversity Rules Magazine - April 2021