Fall down seven times, get up eight. On June 29th, 2023, the indie feature Daruma had its world premiere through Dances with Films Film Festival to a sold out crowd at the illustrious TCL Chinese Theatre.
Described by the filmmakers as a dark comedy, the story follows Patrick (a bitter wheelchair user played by Tobias Forrest) who must enlist the help of his cantankerous neighbor Robert (a double amputee veteran played by John W. Lawson) to transport the daughter he never knew he had (a precocious four-year-old played by Victoria Scott) to live with her maternal grandparents on the other side of the country. The film was the recipient of the Project ReFrame stamp of approval from Women in Film and even received the Panavision New Filmmaker Grant which is typically reserved for shorts, and it’s not hard to see why.
Daruma is brilliantly shot and directed by Alexander Yellen using Panavision cameras to capture the story of Patrick in a dynamic way. In several sequences, the camera is attached to a wheelchair rig to capture Patrick’s first person POV. By doing so, it accentuates Patrick’s performance to portray his inner turmoil as he goes on a journey of internal reckoning. Yellen also utilizes the power of LED walls to paint breathtaking sunset backdrops as Robert drives Patrick and his daughter through the heart of America. In addition, Yellen formed a second unit and drove through Washington state to shoot most of the beautiful drone and driving sequences that are seen throughout the film. All of these filmmaking techniques combine to create a visual feel that is truly a feast for the eyes.
For how beautiful the film is, what truly makes it stand out is its emotionally poignant script. Written by Kelli McNeil-Yellen (who also produces and plays a small role in the film), the story of Daruma is something that has been ruminating in McNeil-Yellen’s head for over a decade when a member of her family had a spinal cord injury. Though not based on a true story, McNeil-Yellen pens a story centered around two broken people in Patrick and Robert and the cross-country road trip they take with young Camilla to experience forgiveness, symbolized by the Daruma doll. Legend says when you make a wish, you color in one eye of the Daruma doll, and when the wish comes true, you color in the other eye. Said McNeil-Yellen, “In the script, John’s character has a Daruma tattoo on his back, and one eye is colored in. At some point during the journey, Toby asks him, ‘What did you wish for?’ You find out that what John’s character had wished for was forgiveness. That truly is the crux of the story, it’s about learning how to forgive yourself.”
In addition to its stunning visuals and brilliant script, Daruma also was authentically cast, which elevated the story to another level through standout performances by Tobias Forrest and John W. Lawson who were able to lean on their own lived experiences. Said Yellen, “When you’re casting, don’t think about the establishment, think about disabilities, people of color, and people with different gender identities.” To do so isn’t performative, but rather an accurate reflection of the make-up of society that also has huge economic upside. A study from Nielsen media pointed out that an increase in disability representation could mean increased revenue for inclusive content providers and platforms. With brand spending $738 million on advertisements in disability-inclusive broadcast and cable programs in Q3 of 2022, while total ad spend on broadcast and cable in the same period was $9.9 billion (Source: Variety Magazine, December 2022). Simply put, there is a market for disability-inclusive content, evident in the fact that tickets for Daruma were sold out within a week with so many people on the waitlist that the festival moved the film to a bigger venue.
Said RespectAbility Senior Vice President Lauren Appelbaum, “Daruma is exactly the kind of project RespectAbility advocates for. It embodies the values we’re pushing for in this industry – inclusiveness both in front of and behind the camera with a narrative that promotes a positive, accurate representation of disability.”
The film currently has worldwide distribution rights available but the filmmakers tell us that they have been fielding multiple offers from distributors, so we expect this to be released to a wider audience very soon in the near future.
To learn more about the project, check out their Instagram @darumamovie.
