I was hired to work on a piece about anti-discrimination in the wake of Pulse. MC: The relationship inspired the ideas, and then ended up shaping the film. Were you looking more at Jeannette as a character or the event? POV : I understand you were working on another project together and then decided to follow Jeannette for her story. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Jeannette is one survivor’s story, but the events of this week are a sad reminder that these stories are all too frequent. The film invites audiences to see their hardships in Feliciano’s story and draw from the love, strength, and support they see on film. Feliciano’s words about the love she drew from her son, and finding strength by making him feel safe, assumed new significance for this critic while transcribing them the next day. Hours later, though, America would be rocked by yet another senseless act of violence that claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers at a Texas school. Speaking with POV the morning of May 24, Feliciano talked warmly and passionately about her family’s significance in the healing process. She lets others harness her strength along the way, particularly her son, Anthony, who plays a pivotal role in her ability to find her balance. The journey is equally physical and spiritual as Feliciano dives into a vigorous bodybuilding routine.
Jeannette invites audiences to enter the safe space that Feliciano creates for herself as she rebuilds herself. The doc observes how Feliciano regained her strength as one of the survivors of the Pulse Nightclub massacre, which tragically claimed the lives of 49 people and wounded 53 others who simply got together for Latin Night at the Orlando gay bar on June 12, 2016. Feliciano shares her healing journey in this documentary by Maris Curran ( Five Nights in Maine). The subject of the documentary Jeannette, premiering Saturday at Toronto’s Inside Out 2SLGBTQ Film Festival, reflects upon the importance of slowing down and giving oneself time to heal. “It’s about loving people, not judging people, and allowing yourself to heal,” says Jeannette Feliciano.