Acclaimed queer director Brianne Nord-Stewart is empowering positive change through film. Her most recent project, I Was Octomom: The Natalie Suleman Story, helps one of America’s most hated women take back her reputation and rewrite the narrative. Donating proceeds from the release party for her show, The Dangers of Online Dating, to Options for Sexual Health, donating to Action Canada, and supporting a plethora of other sexual and reproductive health organizations, Nord-Stewart makes her message loud and clear. To learn more about Brianne Nord-Stewart and her projects, read on.

Where are you based?
Vancouver, BC, Canada

What inspired you to pursue a career in directing?
I went to a performing and visual arts public school from grades 7-12 that offered photography, directing, and film and TV. A classmate a year ahead of me was applying to film school and I thought, “Oh, I can do that? I guess I can do that!” I was drawn to the idea that I wouldn’t have to pick just one thing to learn about, that I could make films about all sorts of people with all sorts of jobs, lives, etc., and I would constantly be learning.

Back in March, on International Women’s Day, your most recent project, “I Was Octomom: The Natalie Suleman Story”, was released. What inspired you to take on this project and want to tell Natalie Suleman’s story?
I am a very curious person and am often asking WHY someone might do something: What circumstances and experiences lead them to where they are? Why do they make the choices they make? I approached this project with that as my motivation. I wanted to humanize this person that the world only knew from whatever headline that would sell the most papers. A person, and a good character, is so much more than a headline.

Did you intentionally release “I Was Octomom: The Natalie Suleman Story” on International Women’s Day? If so, why was this important to you?
I’m sure the release was absolutely intentional from Lifetime TV. I was not involved in release scheduling, but am very pleased with its quick release and alignment with International Women’s Day.

Suleman has said that she chose to step back into the media’s spotlight after all this time for the chance to reclaim her family’s life and potentially inspire other women to be more resilient. How did you help incorporate her message throughout the film?
I think the nature of just being raised as, and living as a woman, makes a person inherently resilient. As seen in I WAS OCTOMOM, Natalie was picked apart by the media and the masses. People wanted to criticize someone, they wanted to point and gawk, and she was a “character” to them that they could do that to. By whatever means she was able to step out of the media and still make an income — that deserves huge kudos. She prioritized her kids and her own sanity. She was an executive producer on the project, which meant she had a say. Her voice mattered and she was a part of determining how her story was going to be told.

Why do you think it's important, now more than ever, for women to have stories out there about other women who have shown perseverance through tough situations? '
There is a phenomenon known as the CSI Effect, inspired by the popular television show CSI, which featured a woman crime scene investigator. The show’s widespread popularity contributed to more women becoming Crime Scene Investigators — today, 75% of those enrolled in CSI programs are women. There is also the Will & Grace effect. That show changed policy and perception in America and showed viewers that gay men are people too, and then gay marriage became legal.

Getting the positive message that “you can do this too” is hugely impactful, and representation in any underrepresented demographic can massively affect people’s lives. Stories matter. Let’s use that power to empower positive change and a better, and safer quality of life for everyone.

What are your thoughts on how the public eye can impact a person when they unexpectedly become instantly famous? How can others protect themselves if they ever find themselves in this situation?
This is a great question, and one that I don’t have an answer to. Regardless of who you are, having a grounded support system of people you can trust will at the very least, will help you keep your feet on the ground.

IVF, which Suleman used, is currently being affected by the new American abortion bans coming into place. What are your thoughts on these bans and how they are impacting IVF?
Everyone, all people, have the right to safe and accessible medical care and family planning. Family planning includes the right to terminate a pregnancy, whether it is wanted or not. I really appreciated that in the film, while Natalie chooses to not reduce the number of embryos, she makes it very clear that she supports the right for others to choose. The “ban on abortion” is a ban on access to contraception, information, safe medical care, and limits a person’s autonomy about their own bodies and lives. The “ban on abortion” is a policy to further disenfranchise those with limited resources. By forcing people into bearing children, this administration and its supporters are limiting folk’s ability to to gain and invest resources in higher education, to plan for families at a time that works for them, and is literally preventing people WHO WANT CHILDREN to stay alive when their pregnancies are life threatening. This is intentional. Rich people will still be able to get an abortion. I highly recommend folks support, subscribe, and follow Planned Parenthood, Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, and Abortion Access Front. These places will also have info on other organizations to support globally.

With how everything turned out for Suleman, would she recommend IVF to other women looking to have children? Would you?
I know that Natalie loves being a mother and that her children were raised extremely loved and well cared for. I would imagine she would want that opportunity for whomever wants and can care for children and love them well. I imagine she would also recommend using a physician with ethical practices and adhering to the standards and practices of the procedure to avoid highly risky pregnancies. I have multiple friends who have had challenges conceiving kids naturally, and IVF has been integral to their ability to create the families they have dreamed of. Every family is different, and for some, adoption, fostering, or being part of another child's life may be the right path.

You are also the creator, director, and writer of The Dangers of Online Dating. Can you tell us a little bit about this series. What inspired you to create it?
GO WATCH IT FOLKS! www.youtube.com/DOODtheseries

THE DANGERS OF ONLINE DATING is a nine episode digital series about a sexual health nurse with a fear of casual sex consequences who decides to get back into the game by dating online. I was inspired to make this show after having numerous online date-fails. This was 2012, before Tinder, and there were no dating apps on your phone, only websites. Online dating was regarded as something for only the desperate and damaged, so folks were all using it in secret. My sister is a nurse who works in sexual and reproductive health and the horror stories of her job were always lingering over my head. So yes, everyone should absolutely be getting STI tests before and after becoming sexually active with new people. Even when we were shooting the second season in 2017, when everyone was now on Tinder, there were whispers from a few crew members and audience members at the screening that “maybe I should go get tested”. YES FOLKS. GO GET TESTED. Get the HPV vaccine. Take care of your bodies, they are the only ones you get. One of the things Planned Parenthood oﬀers is/was STI TESTS!! This is also considered part of “family planning” and also something that abortion bans are removing access to.

You donated the proceeds from the launch party of your show “The Dangers of Online Dating” to sexual health options. Why is this an important topic for you? What are some relevant resources and/or organizations you’d like to shout out?
Options for Sexual Health is a local clinic in Vancouver/BC that is similar to Planned Parenthood in America. They “provide sexual and reproductive health services for all ages, all genders, and all orientations. [Their] clinicians are committed to providing you with confidential, nonjudgmental, youth-friendly, pro-choice, and sex-positive services.” This includes STI screenings, pregnancy tests, free contraception, nonjudgmental information about abortions, and reproductive care. Action Canada For Sexual Health and Reproductive Rights, Abortion Access Front (created by the same woman who created The Daily Show, yes, THAT Daily Show), Planned Parenthood, Options for Sexual Health, Qmunity in Vancouver. I support trans rights as well, trans folks also need sexual health care, and these organizations all support that.

You also give monthly donations to Action Canada, an organization dedicated to sexual health education and reproductive rights advocacy. With access to several healthcare options in America currently being threatened, what are some things our readers can do to help support and advocate for unrestricted healthcare access and education?
I think the biggest thing folks can do besides donating, are all FREE. 1. Educate yourself with reputable organizations, and information directly from medical organizations, not individuals. The places I have mentioned are great places to start. 2. Talk to your local and provincial/state representatives. They HAVE TO take your call. Tell them you support sexual health and reproductive autonomy. 3. If someone you know wants an abortion, SUPPORT THEM. 4. VOTE WITH YOUR WALLET. This means NOT supporting companies who are supporting bans on people’s rights and freedoms. And LET THEM KNOW why you aren’t shopping there. Seeing the support for Costco and the boycott for Target is a GREAT example of how your spending dollars really impacts corporations. 5. Use your voice for good. If you are part of conversations where people are discriminating against nondominant groups, say something.

What kind of an impact do you hope your shows like “The Dangers of Online Dating” have on viewers?
When I created it and began filming it I honestly was not at all thinking about any sort of advocacy. I just found these situations to be so awkward, and then the way I retold the stories to my friends was with humor. The irony of a sexual health nurse with a fear of casual sex consequences trying desperately to just have un-attached casual sex is what makes the concept so great. My beliefs and values are absolutely a huge part of the show, even if I did not intend it to be advocacy, I just wanted to talk about what was going on, and it’s most fun to do that with humor. I think that’s what makes it accessible is that it IS entertaining first and foremost.

There is A LOT that is relatable, and it's also a smart show that isn’t preaching or talking down to anyone. It’s just the world she lives in, and in that world people talk about consent, body autonomy, sex, sexuality, etc. as just matter of fact. I also created the companion series SEX, WITH PAULA where the same character is making her own educational YouTube show. This was in part a more financially feasible component to keep up producing to draw folks to THE DANGERS OF ONLINE DATING, but it also ended up getting responses from folks I wouldn’t have imagined.

The actress, Paula Burrows who plays the character Paula, also voiced Rayna on the animated series DRAGON PRINCE. So a lot of that show’s audience found our show. Some left comments that they were shocked and offended (mostly that she doesn’t actually have the Scottish accent that Rayla does) but one that stood out was a queer/trans kid who loved DRAGON PRINCE, and at first was put off by SEX, WITH PAULA, but then it ended up becoming a YouTube show they watched with their mom, that inspired them to have some honest conversations together. It meant a lot to me to get that email. I want to inspire honest and curious conversations that lead to a reduction of stigma and more inclusivity and acceptance, and safer-sex practices.

What has been the most rewarding part of getting to direct shows that speak up for others and educate viewers on important issues?
I think part of my answer above covers that ;)

The main genres you tend to work with are dark comedies and drama-comedies. Why do these genres speak to you more than others? How do you think these genres enable you to incorporate advocacy into your projects?
Comedy is the release of tension. If people can laugh with others (and not AT others) about very tense and loaded topics, folks are better equipped to talk about them in a regulated way. I think I started with comedy because I didn’t want everything to have to be so serious, and I myself just wanted to laugh a bit.

Additionally, in the development and production of a film, the content impacts you personally. Making a drama can be incredibly depressing. Making a comedy — while still hard to actually make, and comes with a ton of hurdles is inherently funny and YOU GET TO LAUGH ALL THE TIME. It’s joyful.

Suicide prevention is a cause close to your heart. Can you speak on this a little bit.
Yes. In 2012 two friends of mine from childhood/high school died by suicide. And within that year I was also impacted by a couple of neighbors who also took their own lives. This is also a topic that has a lot of stigma around it, and I have seen that talking about it can be prevention. I have personally been told by two friends, that me talking about the significantly challenging impact these deaths had on the lives of their loved ones, is what stopped them from taking their own lives in periods of struggle. Folks with suicidal ideation are often struggling with loneliness, hopelessness, and feeling a lack of purpose. These are all things that are possible to remedy and find support with, they just need to know that support exists. I highly recommend everyone take a mental health first aid course.

What advice do you have for anyone struggling with mental health issues?
Tell someone you trust. Talk to a therapist, call a hotline. If you don’t get support from one, try the next. Advocating for yourself can be hard, but keep trying.

Can you tell us about your work mentoring at-risk youth and indigenous youth in Vancouver, Yellowknife, and Whitehorse and what inspired you to get involved?
I have been fortunate enough to know filmmakers in a few places who are looking for another mentor and seem to think I might be a good fit, and all I had to do was say yes. In Vancouver, with Frames Film Project it is a twice-a-week free film school for at-risk youth who have been impacted by addiction and/or mental health struggles. In Yellowknife, I mentored youth from all across NWT and Nunavut and they got a crash course in filmmaking with cameras put in their hands. In Whitehorse, I came for a long weekend to mentor a group of paid interns in production on their final personal final projects. And in Morely, Alberta, I mentored local folks for a month to develop and shoot and finish a project of their choosing, capped off with a public free screening and meal. I have experience in a number of roles in film, writing, producing, directing, camera operating, lighting, editing, and now intimacy coordination, and that sort of well rounded experience is a huge asset to these types of programs, it shows the participants that you don’t need a ton of people to start telling stories.

Photo Credits: Brianne Nord-Stewart

Being both queer and a woman in what is, for the time being, a majorly straight male dominated field, what are some of the hardships you have had to face and how have you overcome them?
The first time someone told me “you can’t do that, no one will fund that (because you’re a woman)” was a woman in a group of women filmmakers. It really cut me down. I understand that this group of filmmakers had been struggling for decades watching male counterparts succeed while women did not. And yet, planting the idea in anyone that they will never succeed because of who they are…especially in a program that is supposed to support and elevate women…isn’t helping anyone.

This is a very hard industry that involves the right circumstances lining up and being in the right place at the right time. The only thing in my control is to continue to work on projects I believe in, let decisions makers know I exist, and try to be in the right place at the right time.

What is some advice you would give to young girls who want to pursue a career in directing but might be discouraged because of the lack of female representation in the industry?
You can do it. It takes a ton of resilience, but if you love it, if you want to, you can. Why not you?

Are there any upcoming projects you are currently working on that we should be on the lookout for?
I just wrapped a project I can’t talk about yet, but it was a blast and a fantastic experience with the cast, crew, and thankfully the producers and the client were really on my team and all wanting to succeed together. I am writing a feature and always have a ton of ideas percolating, but I’m really looking forward to meeting more collaborative writers and producers, and hopefully finding those who are really excited and driven to work together.

It has been a rough few years, and we expect at least four more. How have you been staying positive?
I just try to meet basic needs, making sure I am hydrated, eating healthy regular meals, getting good sleep, getting exercise, going outside, and surrounding myself with authentic and honest folks with my kind of humor. Laughter is a MUST. I try to take care of my side of the street, so I’m able to show up for others too. Campsite rules folks: leave people and places in better condition than you found them.

What is your motto in life?
Hydrate and wear sunscreen.

To learn more about Brianne Nord-Stewart, please check out the links below:
Instagram: @bnordstewart
YouTube: www.youtube.com/BrianneNS
vimeo.com/bnordstewart
youtube.com/DOODtheseries
www.Nord-Stewart.com

Brianne Nord-Stewart - Directing Change