In his new film, Zach Damon shares the rich history of disability advocacy in Ann Arbor.

The director explores 70 years of local advocacy in Resilience Revealed: Ann Arbor’s Disability Legacy, which highlights the city’s foundational role in shaping the broader disability rights movement.

“Honestly, disability is something I have a great deal of experience in,” said Damon, who was born with cerebral palsy and grew up in Ann Arbor.

“And as a filmmaker, when an opportunity comes along to make a film about what you know, you have a duty to make work that can give a glimpse into what that is and what came before you to enlighten others.”

Through personal narratives, historical accounts, and expert insights, the 24-minute film examines the building blocks of Ann Arbor’s disability rights legacy, emphasizing its significance within the community and its impact on future generations.

“One of the first things we did was attempt to contact former mayors of Ann Arbor to be interviewed about their experience,” said Damon, who also hosts the internet talk show Ann Arbor Tonight.

“We also did our best to start looking at old newspaper articles for topical information. AADL’s Archives department helped us along the way with helpful resources and tips on how to access their online archives database.”

Resilience Revealed also features interviews with Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor, Ann Arbor City Councilmember Ayesha Ghazi Edwin, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein, Disability Network executive director Alex Gossage, and other advocates.

I recently did an email interview with Damon about Resilience Revealed ahead of its July 27 pre-premiere at Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown location.

Q: What inspired you to make Resilience Revealed? 
A: My personal experiences with cerebral palsy and professional experiences with media and advocacy inspired me to make this film. I understand that history is important, and [I was] curious about what Ann Arbor had done prior to the Americans With Disabilities Act [of 1990] and [how that] helped contribute to the national disability movement. I was passionate about learning this history, but also eager to share it with others.

Q: What are some key insights and discoveries that you share in the film? 
A: We learned that Ann Arbor had activists such as Dr. Leonard Greenbaum, who had served as chairman of the Mayor’s Committee on Problems of the Handicapped, as well as a member of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, and the University of Michigan’s Committee to Aid Disabled Students. His wife, Judith Greenbaum, was also a disability consultant, and her book Life Planning for Adults With Developmental Disabilities served as an important guide for parents. We also learned some of the state of Michigan’s role in the Michigan Civil Rights Act of 1976 and how that helped pave the way for the national disability movement and the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Ann Arbor was also one of the first cities to have accessible buses for public transit.

Q: How did the production team help bring your vision for the film to life? 
A: I was really lucky to have a great team. I remember the day cinematographer Johannes Pardi and I sat down in my living room, and I explained the concept and mapped out the shooting style. I just heard him say at the end of the meeting, “I’m really excited,” [and] that really set the tone. I also can’t say enough about Chris Anderson, the editor on the project. He and I met many times to review cuts, take notes, and discuss creative ideas. As the director, I was glad to have his eyes on it as well, as he helped bring the whole vision together. Additionally, Andrew MacLaren, head archivist at the Ann Arbor District Library, was a great help as well as the staff at [U-M’s] Bentley Historical Library. Thank you also to Donald Harrison and 7 Cylinders Studio for the support and for trusting my vision. The film is not just an accomplishment for Zach Damon Productions and me, but for many.

Q: How did you select the people featured and interviewed in Resilience Revealed? 
A: Selecting the people featured and interviewed in the film is always a tough part of the process. If I’m being honest with all of you, you get a lot of “Thank you, but no thank you,” so it’s really about explaining the vision well, communicating why they are being asked specifically, and casting a wide net. While others say no, Ann Arbor and Michigan as a whole have a lot of strong advocates, so I was lucky to get some great people from our city and state to agree to be in the film.

Q: Resilience Revealed features music from Ann Arbor artist Vicalely. How does his music help support the film? 
A: Originally, we had some options from composers in mind, and after that, we sent in a few clips of the film and asked them to send us some samples. While we were going through the selection process, editor Chris Anderson brought up Vicalely and told me a bit of his story. I was intrigued and asked to hear some of his work. Once I heard his story and listened to “What’s New,” I thought it would blend nicely as the film’s title track. Vicalely’s music enhances and supports the film greatly in my opinion. Not only does his track add a nice complement to the visuals, but having a composer with a disability on this project in particular just fits. He’s a talented musician aside from that, and I hope everyone can enjoy his music.

Q: What plans do you have for the film’s pre-premiere and post-screening discussion at AADL’s downtown location?
A: We decided to partner with the Ann Arbor District Library on the pre-premiere of the film because they supported the project the whole way, from pitch to now, and that means a lot. For the post-screening discussion, we plan to have me, our editor, city council member Ayesha Ghazi Edwin, and a possible surprise guest join the panel.

Q: What do you hope people take away from the film? 
A: I really hope people can watch the film and be filled with pride about the history of Ann Arbor and Michigan within the disability advocacy landscape. If nothing else, I hope people can walk away from the film knowing something they didn’t know before.

Q: What’s up next for Resilience Revealed? 
A: We hope to have Resilience Revealed entered into the global film festival circuit after its full release, and we do hope to have other screenings and events around the film planned for later this fall. I do hope we can also screen Resilience Revealed at different schools and universities for educational purposes.

Q: You recently directed the short film Nightmare, which received recognition in the 2025 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. How did you come to work on that film and direct it? 
A: Nightmare was a blast, and the cast and crew were a dream—pun intended—to work with. I was asked to direct the film by my good friend and disability activist, speaker, independent film producer, and screenwriter Tameka Citchen Spruce. We ended up seeing each other at a gala event earlier in the year where she was being honored, and she said, “I want to work with you.” With someone as talented as Tameka, you take that offer seriously.

We then had a couple of follow-up meetings to discuss project ideas, and [Tameka] suggested putting a team together for the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. She had some story ideas and then we teamed up with Hollywood Farmstead, Michigan’s largest green screen production facility in Milan. The idea for Nightmare was born. Tameka wrote a great, compelling story, and our lead actor Ian Minicuci is a native Michigan actor and writer best known for his work with Ed Helms and John C. Reilly in the hit comedy Cedar Rapids.

Q: You’ve just released a new episode of Ann Arbor Tonight featuring Giovanni Gambino. What was it like to return to the show? 
A: Returning back to Ann Arbor Tonight was great! In addition to the interviews and other segments, we’ve also been really active on Instagram, doing Instagram live broadcasts on location at different events around the city. We have some great plans for the show later this year. We hope to release more episodes on cable and YouTube, but also keep our on-location Instagram live broadcasts going consistently as well. The way television and media are viewed is rapidly changing, so we’re just enjoying the journey and doing our best to give everyone fun content to watch. After all, we do it for the audience!

Lori Stratton is a library technician, writer for Pulp, and writer and editor of strattonsetlist.com.

The pre-premiere of “Resilience Revealed: Ann Arbor’s Disability Legacy” is Sunday, July 27, at the Ann Arbor District Library, 343 South Fifth Avenue, Ann Arbor. The screening starts at 6 pm and is free. Filmmaker Zach Damon will introduce the film and take questions after the screening.