Since I was a young girl, I had the desire to write about what’s relatable, and what I saw in my everyday life. It was always important to me as an African American woman to tell our story our way. My goal in life was to compose, produce, and film original material, based around Generational social issues no matter the age you would be able to relate. I moved to Dallas, Texas in pursuit of that goal. I started my production company Jaz’Rii Productions in 2016 and was able to put on my first stage play in April of 2018. It was an amazing feeling to put on something that I wrote and have my family come from Rhode Island in support of it. I was on top of the world until two weeks later I fell ill, and was hit with devastating news.
On 05/08/2018 I was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis (MS), and everything I work so hard for came to a Screeching stop. Not knowing how to handle this news, and being told my MS was progressing, so fast I had to be pulled out of work. At the age of 27 going on 28, this was the last thing I wanted to hear. With having more than five flare-ups, and not being able to afford the proper medication I fell into a deep depression. I wasn’t able to do the things most people take for granted like walking, using your hands, sitting, or standing for longer than 5 minutes. I no longer had the desire to write, or care about my business. I lost everything I had: my home, my job, my happiness, my overall purpose in life.
In 2019 things started to look up for me. I didn’t get a job or my home back but I got my faith back I got my strength back. One day I decided to write not knowing how it will end, or what will come of it. When I wrote Perfect Cheater It was the first thing I wrote after being diagnosed with MS. I took from things that were happening to me during that time. While going through the most devastating time of my life I was also dealing with being cheated on, robbed of money, People I thought were my friends turned to foes, and life Decisions became questionable. Felt as if life was a game and the perfect cheater. With this movie, It will feel as though I won this game I was forced to play by never giving up.
I spent all of 2019 writing because the doctors pulled me out of work and I was battling with social security about if I was disabled with MS, But I kept writing and writing until I had a complete movie . 2020 comes and the Top of the year I build myself up drag myself out of depression with God's help of course, and I tell myself 2020 is the year where imma put this movie out or at least get started on it. Only for a pandemic to come and shut the world down. All 2020 I go back and read and read, take away, add too and read again. Had people who are close to me who I trust their opinion read it. I go back and read, and edit. Now at the top of 2021 I sit here trying to figure out how were gonna make this happen, So something I work hard on doesn’t go to waste.
I realized putting on a film production is extremely difficult during a pandemic because we want everyone to be and stay safe. The steps my team and I have put in place are first we held virtual casting calls, virtual table reads. We are having everyone tested cast and crew for covid before in-person rehearsals and filming began. The crew and I are making sure all equipment is wiped down and sanitized. Cast and crew will be wearing a face mask and will wash and sanitize their hands frequently. We are planning to have call times based on the scenes we are shooting at the time, so everyone is not on set at the time. We will be following CDC guidelines to keep everyone safe.
As we are in rehearsals for this film I am extremely excited for everyone to see the outcome of a project We work so hard to put out . We are almost there!
