Rising Stars: Meet Joua Grande

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joua Grande.

Hi Joua, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started my creative journey as a spoken word poet in my teens and early 20s, performing my poems about my lived experiences and social justice issues I was grappling to understand as a young person. Television, film, and documentaries were how I learned about America and other cultures as a child of refugees; they felt like a powerful tool. When spoken word felt limiting, it was a natural progression to move into filmmaking. Without the robust filmmaking scene that would allow an aspiring filmmaker to grow quickly here in Minnesota, I worked full-time in nonprofits while producing short documentaries. The work I did in the community informed the types of stories I told, primarily about marginalized experiences and shifting the narratives about these communities.

In 2018, I quit my nonprofit job and backpacked through Southeast Asia to reconnect with my roots. During that time, I focused on my craft and produced a couple of short documentaries about community work being done in Laos. When I returned, I got a job editing the morning news at WCCO TV 4 News, and my editing abilities grew immensely in the following years. I learned a lot about the news industry and ultimately determined that television news was not the right fit for me– documentaries were where I could make the kind of impact I wanted to make. I worked on my filmmaking craft while teaching media production in community programs to youth and aspiring filmmakers from marginalized communities. I got into the Diverse Voices in Docs fellowship, which opened up my entire world to how documentary filmmaking worked on a national industry level. Since then, I have continued to grow and have been slowly building a name for myself in the national arena.

In 2020, I founded my small production business Spirited Films LLC, and now work on independent documentaries, contract media work, community education, and more. I am working on my first feature-length documentary, which has garnered the support of many great local and national institutions. I am now a member of various filmmaking networks, including Asian American Documentary Network (for which I am currently on the leadership team) and Brown Girls Doc Mafia. I still have a lot more to learn and grow as a filmmaker and storyteller, but I am in a great place. For that, I am grateful.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road was difficult. For a second-generation Hmong American woman from North Minneapolis, I did not know anyone else who had become a filmmaker. I had no road map set for me, no guidance, no way to understand how to become a better filmmaker fully, and no connections to enter this industry. I majored in cinema and media culture in college, but there was no education on breaking into and making it in the field. Many considered my passion a hobby and did not consider this a serious career trajectory. I imagine this is because they had never seen a woman of color from my community make it. I was faced with tough decisions.

I needed to stay close to home to support my refugee parents and family. The option to go to film school was not realistic. But I knew that to grow. I needed community and opportunities to grow – people who were filmmakers and could guide me and connect me with the right resources. I attended film events and remembered feeling ignored and dismissed by many men in this male-dominated industry. I remember feeling avoided at events where I was the only person of color. I felt like I was up against a huge fight and was willing to take it on because I deeply wanted to tell stories through the film to create social impact. I felt this was my life’s calling, and I did not want to give up simply because some did not believe in me.

Years ago, I went to a film panel where 4-5 women filmmakers from the Twin Cities spoke. I was inspired. I am naturally very shy, but my desire to succeed in this industry overpowered my social anxiety. Afterward, I worked up the nerve to go up to each of the women to introduce myself and ask them for coffee to learn more about them and their careers and get advice. This was the start of a domino effect of great things. There have been many barriers along the way people who did not believe in me, people who did not take me seriously, and institutions that did not feel the stories. I wished to tell where important and systems that were not created for someone like me to succeed, lack resources, and more. It took a lot of trial and error, pushing through, getting back up when I’d fallen, and stumbling through the learning.

Over time, I have been finding my footing in this field. Two things helped me immensely:

1) My burning desire and purpose to make it in this industry.

2) Finding and surrounding myself with people who believed in and supported me. Community is everything.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a media artist and filmmaker. I direct, produce, do cinematography, and edit though I typically prefer not to do all these things on a single project. I also do documentary-style photography. My documentary work focuses on underrepresented perspectives and marginalized communities. I aim to build connections and understanding about tough issues through personal stories. What sets me apart from others is that my work is embedded in change work, the intention for the stories I tell to impact positive change through shifting perspectives and deepening understanding. My work is driven by ten years of nonprofit work in the Twin Cities working with youth, families, and individuals from different communities. I also produce videos for clients and have worked with school districts, nonprofits, and independent artists.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Everything starts with simply having the courage to reach out. Often, we see someone we admire and respect and whose work we look up to – and we think they are untouchable. Often, they’re not. In many fields, aside from celebrities, many people are happy to support those trying to break into a field. Sometimes, all it takes is to shoot them a message: Hey. I admire your work. This is who I am, and I would love to take you to coffee sometime to learn more about you. If they say yes – that is an opportunity you did not have before that might open doors to new knowledge, wisdom, and community. You’re not at a loss if they ignore you or say no. You’re still where you always were. Even if they do not have time to chat with you, some years down the line, they might see your name appear and say, “Hey, I remember you. We never got to grab that coffee. Let’s do it now.”

Also, know that mentors do not always need to come from the field you want to enter. I have had mentors in other fields that offer amazing insight, support, and wisdom. We are led to believe that networking and mentorship are all business. It’s clinical, and it’s super dry. But that’s not the case at all. The best professional relationships and mentorships I have are organic, not bound by awkward rules or limitations, and based on deep respect, authenticity, and connection. They’re based on friendship and grow with trust. When networking or first building a mentor relationship, it may not start that way, but the hope is that it ends that way. The best way to approach networking and mentorship is not to see it as a transactional relationship – but to base those relationships on authentic connection and a desire for each of you to succeed. I have found it immensely helpful to be surrounded by people who believe in me, even when I don’t believe in myself. These are people who I also deeply believe in too.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.joualeegrande.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joualeelens/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/joualeegrande

Image Credits
Headshot: Ashley Elwill Behind the scenes photos: Kou Lee of Famlee Films