Short film Once More, Like Rain Man, written by and staring autistic actress Bella Zoe Martinez and directed by Sue Ann Pien, reflects the real challenges of autism representation within the entertainment industry. Showcasing a main character with more than one dimension to her, Once More, Like Rain Man aims to take down stereotypes about individuals with autism. Both Martinez and Pien take it a step further, showing their dedication to empowering others through relationships with non-profit organizations like Epic Players LA and Zeno Mountain Farms. To learn more about Bella Zoe Martinez, Sue Ann Pien (a previous cover model for Jejune!), and their new short film, Once More, Like Rain Man, read on.

Where are you based?
Bella: Los Angeles CA
Sue Ann: I’m based in LA.

What inspired you both to pursue careers in the entertainment industry?
Bella: I’ve always loved making stories and creating worlds I could share and explore. My parents both work in the industry as writers, location managers and producers, I guess my love of storytelling runs in the family, since I would come up with stories with my siblings to play out. Acting feels like it comes naturally for me, since it’s masking as much as it is showing an honest part of yourself, and I’ve done that most of my life.

Sue Ann: All my friends were doing it, and it looked fun to be paid to travel and perform. Except for that one time my Korean friend from junior high came back as a K-Pop star, and her face was unrecognizable because they made her get so much plastic surgery. But otherwise, it was just another thing in LA!

Bella, what made you gather an interest in screenwriting and storytelling?
Bella: It’s always something I’ve done, writing stories helped me cope with bullying as well as acting. In 6th grade, it was pretty severe, and the school was not helping. Fortunately, my teachers cared about my well being and safety, and when a new AP took over, she helped me get away from a pretty toxic situation. It was my own kind of therapy -being able to be someone in a narrative and write my own narratives was liberating.

Congratulations on your fantastic short film ‘Once More, Like Rain Man’! What inspired the creation of this film?
Bella: The film is based on a lot of auditions I’ve had – the questions I’ve been asked. I realized that as a typical character, I was fully three dimensional, but as an autistic character or actress, I was the obstacle. Like in a video game, I realized I wasn’t the hero, I was the dragon! I also realized that people don’t mean ill intent, for the most part, they’re just misinformed. And unless I was willing to answer the questions honestly, how will they ever learn? Zoe is based on me, and my siblings, who are also autistic. But much different – my sister Kennedy takes everything literally – she will outlive God getting the last word in, and if it makes no sense, will turn it into an argument of ‘why are you yelling at me??’ my brother Alex learned to speak from vaudeville – he takes nothing seriously – it’s like having all four Marx brothers, and the old guys from the Muppets.

Photo Courtesy of OMLR Movie and Conscious Hollywood

How do your personal experiences as artists with autism in the entertainment industry tie in with the narrative of this film?
Bella: My experience with being autistic, growing up that way, and media that I had besides my audition sides really made me question why it was the way it was. It didn’t need to stay that way, so I wanted to change it. To give what I wanted to see back when I was little, a teen who just so happens to be autistic but it doesn’t define who she is. Zoe is inspired by me, my brother, and my sister. People who write some autistic characters that are flat do so because they don’t know what they’re actually like. And the POV for every film or media, is always omnipotent or the caregivers’ / parents’ perspective. Never through the lens of the autistic person. I wanted to have people see through my eyes and be able to relate.

What do you hope viewers take away from this short film?
Bella: It’s up to you to make a future that has you in it. And that yes, you can. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it.

What does the title of this short film mean to you both? Why did you choose to reference ‘Rain Man’ in the title and throughout the film?
Bella: It was very intentional. Rain Man was ground breaking. It was the first step in bringing autism to public awareness. It literally created the entire industry for supporting the autistic community. It gave people the desire and drive to create services for so many kids like myself. Without it, I would not be here right now. I don’t think the filmmakers quite realized how much they changed the world. At least, they did for people like me, my siblings and the autism community overall.

Throughout the film, many different stereotypes about individuals with autism are depicted. What stereotypes do you hope this film helps break?
Bella: Rain Man was the first step. But nobody took the next one. Now that we’ve all gotten services, and are older, we are ready to tell our own stories. We’re freaking hysterical. I’m just a chaotic gal. It’s okay to laugh – with us. I think a lot of people are afraid that others might think they’re laughing AT us. We are not all good at math. Or physics. I don’t have an eidetic memory, although I hyperfixate on stuff I like, which makes people think we are savants. We just spend a LOT of time on stuff we like. In fact, a lot of us are creatives. I’m an art girl. Stereotypes I hope to break is just showing a character that has autism as a real fully fleshed out character and not one dimensional. I do feel like I achieved this with Zoe.

What do you wish people understood about special interests relating to those with autism?
Bella: We’re not the same person. If you meet one person with autism, you’ve only met one person with autism. We don’t automatically get along just because we’re all autistic. There are some people that are just jerks – who also happen to be autistic. Being a jerk is NOT an autistic characteristic. Don’t let anyone use that as a cop out. We don’t all have the same interests – it’s infinitely varied.

How did your collaboration for this short film come about?
Bella: We were looking for a director with a uniquely autistic point of view. We met Sue Ann through the 1in4Coalition and Zeno Mountain Farms, I think. It seems like forever ago! She read the script, we met for pie, and that was it. I think we closed the place down. Sue Ann just got it. And I was able to totally trust her in turning over the script as a writer to be the actress. I’m not saying it was easy – but it’s like I made the decision to do that, so I just kinda did. It clicked. I don’t think Sue Ann realizes what an amazing director she is. As for the cast and crew, we asked a lot of favors during the writer’s strike, then the SAG strike. Like nobody was doing anything - we were all unemployed. My parents were the lead producers, so they signed the SAG and DGA contracts to be on the level — so we had all the clearances and permissions to film, and everyone was able to help out, legit.

You are working on creating a relationship between your film and Epic Players LA, a nonprofit theatre company dedicated to creating opportunities for neurodiverse and disabled artists. Can you tell us a bit more about what this relationship might look like?
Bella: EPIC players is a troop of neurodiverse performers that are all creative and talented. With them, I’m not old enough to go to a bar, although I sing in them. They also have a strong ethic of paying their autistic performers. It’s really important.

Sue Ann, you also work with Zeno Mountain Farms, a nonprofit organization that runs camps for people with disabilities. Can you tell us a little bit about the organization and your involvement?
Sue Ann: I tend to follow and mimic highly socially skilled “alpha females” who protected and nurtured me in otherwise challenging social situations. Vanessa Nigro Halby was an instrumental part of my early adulthood in our 20s. She took me to castings (she was a Wilhelmina model), and I learned how to be cool, walk into clubs underdressed, stay safe, read a room, and just enjoy life — whether it was rock climbing, staying away from drinks and drugs, or building the best friendships.

When she met Will, who had The Cheshire Project at the time, I witnessed how their incredible romance turned into full-blown service in the world through Zeno Mountain Farm, empowering communities for everyone, with or without a disability. (Check out those dance party fundraisers!)

Besides dancing the night away with friends in wheelchairs at their treehouse farm in Vermont, I was also a camp counselor and learned how to sign so I could “talk” to my camper Jamie, who was blind and deaf but also such an activist. I loved my week at camp, and I didn’t realize it then, but I felt completely at home and safe to be myself (autistic) without constantly needing to hide or mask it.

We love that inclusion is so important to you both and that more than 40% of your cast and crew were all either neurodiverse or living with a disability! What do you hope to see in the future for the entertainment industry relating to representation and inclusivity?
Bella: Kinda cool, right? We had accommodations built in for everyone, it was the most chill set and we ended early every day. You don’t see anyone’s disability plastered all over the film. Just talent. For example, Danielle Perez said it was the first time she’d been on camera, and her wheelchair is never seen. Because it wasn’t part of the character. It was just her. I wish it could be like that all the time. Nobody yelled or was stressed – but seemed a little confused when they found out we could take a break if they needed it. Running yourself into the ground seems dumb. Most people think it will be expensive, or take a lot of time. We showed it doesn’t. I think we might have broken Hollywood, in a good way. I think the autism community tends to be more supportive, without that mean competitive part. Not that we aren’t competitive!

Sue Ann: I hope the industry rewards talent, skills, and experience regardless of a person’s disability level, because that shouldn’t matter — if you nail your job, you should be hired! Also, let actors play whatever we want, not just “disabled” roles, please.

What advice do you have for young girls with autism who want to pursue a career in the entertainment industry?
Sue Ann: Work harder than the rest. Train better than the best.

Are there any upcoming projects you are currently working on that we should be on the lookout for?
Bella: We have the feature version of this in development with partial financing. It’s hysterical, and you see the story from Zoe’s crazy point of view, with the world around her. Like it starts with a funeral… where they ask if anyone has anything to say, and Zoe raises her hand. ‘I didn’t know there was going to be a Q&A, but since you asked… There is also a supernatural western called Clementine – where a vampire buys an ex lawman off the gallows to help solve her father’s murder. And lastly, the animation series I created – well, have been for like ten years – The Burdens We Carry. It’s an entire universe with a lot of very different beings – found family and friends fighting against a very dark organization – ASHES.

Sue Ann: I produced my trans friend Emmy Olea’s first short film. I gave her her first acting role in 2017 for The Secret Things “Down By The Water” PJ Harvey cover music video, which was a benefit project for the trans community supported by prints donated for auction by Shepard Fairey. I had her direct the protagonist’s “transition” scene, and now it’s full circle—we’re about to enter our festival run with a short film executive produced by Alex Fumero (former HBO Development Executive), who just released a project with Eva Longoria and Ryan Reynolds. There was no way I wouldn’t stand by Emmy when things got difficult again for my friend.

It has been a rough few years, and we expect at least four more. How have you been staying positive?
Sue Ann: I find something to laugh at every day. And when it’s too sad, I try to make others laugh. A true Viktor Frankl moment.

What is your motto in life?
Bella: It’s up to you to make a future that has you in it. Always leave room for wonder, wonder is the first part of curiosity and that leads to growth and learning about something new. You can do anything you can set your heart on as long as you have the courage to stick with it no matter what you have, autism or not. Treat others how you want to be treated, and don’t let anyone convince you it can’t be done.

Sue Ann: Work hard. Play harder.

To learn more about Bella Zoe Martinez and Sue Ann Pien, please check out the links below:
Sue Ann: Please support the It Gets Better Project.

Bella:
www.omlrmovie.com
www.navautism.com (my parent’s handbook for parents)
@omlrmovie
@bellazoemartinez
@bella_daze!

EasterSeals SoCal is hosting a screening for the community November 13
Ed Asner Family Center is hosting a screening November 14
@EPICplayersla

@garyspatztheplaygroundla

I wrote the song Distant Goodbyes that’s in the film with Sue Ann’s wife, Cynthia Catania, (our composer)

Here are the links for all streaming platforms.
Distant Goodbyes

a cover from the Minecraft universe
Woe to the People of Order

and my newest original song
Garden of Art

Instagram: @sueannpien

Jejune COVER - Sue Ann Pien - Seeing Through The Veil