When Allison Norlian and her filmmaking partner, Kody Leibowitz, set out to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, they knew they would need a lot more gear than good hiking boots, a sleeping bag and a map. They needed cameras, sound equipment and a protagonist given they were also planning to shoot and co-direct their first feature documentary. Final Draft sat down with Allison Norlian to hear more about that life-changing journey that resulted in the film Meandering Scars.

A former television journalist, Norlian had long been drawn to stories about underrepresented communities, particularly those in the disability space. Her motivation comes from personal experience given that her older sister is profoundly disabled, and her late grandmother lived with MS. 

“Disability culture was my normal. I always wanted to use storytelling to change the way the world views people with disabilities,” says Norlian. 

That passion led her to co-found the documentary production company BirdMine with longtime friend and fellow journalist Kody Leibowitz in 2020, just after being furloughed from her full-time job due to the pandemic. While searching for their first feature documentary subject, Norlian and Leibowitz decided to start by creating socially impactful short content on YouTube. Through that, they were introduced to wheelchair-athlete and disability advocate Erika Bogan, whose personal story would inspire Meandering Scars.

Telling Erika’s Story

Initially introduced as a CrossFit and Spartan Race competitor, Erika casually mentioned in a pre-interview that she was preparing to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. 

“I remember thinking, ‘Way to bury the lead!’” Norlian laughs. 

But it wasn’t just the climb that interested Norlian, it was Erika’s reason for doing it. Having survived a traumatic injury due to domestic violence which led to years of suicidal ideation, Erika was using her physical journey to speak to the emotional and mental health struggles people with disabilities often face. Norlian and Lebowitz knew instantly this story would be a perfect fit for their first full-length documentary.

Journalism as Foundation

Although Meandering Scars was Norlian’s first foray into feature filmmaking, she says her journalism background prepared her for the challenge. 

“As reporters, we were already making mini-documentaries every day. Finding the story, interviewing, writing scripts, it was all transferable,” she says.

Norlian began her career in local TV news after earning a journalism degree from Rutgers University. She worked her way through small-market stations in Utica, Rochester, and Richmond, developing her voice and sharpening her storytelling skills along the way. But over time, she grew disillusioned with the format. 

“I loved the storytelling, but I didn’t enjoy the on-camera presenting. And I was frustrated by the time constraints because you’re trying to tell something meaningful in 90 seconds.”

Launching BirdMine allowed Norlian and Leibowitz to take control of their output. 

“We wanted to tell stories on our own terms, with more depth and more heart,” she says.

Climbing a Mountain 

Filming Meandering Scars was anything but traditional. Not only did Norlian and her team document Erika’s climb in real time, they also spent two years training for it, both physically and emotionally. Norlian, who deals with generalized anxiety disorder, says the days leading up to the trip were the most difficult.

“I was anxious out of my mind. I wasn’t eating or sleeping. But once I was on the mountain, I was okay. I was too tired to be anxious. It was really, sort of eye-opening, I think, for me on my own mental health journey.”

Norlian says the experience has benefitted her in ways she never imagined. 

“It’s really helped me to believe in myself. I realize that it’s another tool in my own toolbox. If I’m having an anxious moment, I remember what I went through and how I not only survived, but thrived,” she says with a tiny smile. 

The crew of 'Meandering Scars'

Staying on Script While Getting Creative

In addition to directing and producing, Norlian served as one of five camera operators who scaled the mountain with Erika. At over three-and-a-half miles above sea level, the crew maintained the sound and video equipment while battling altitude, weather, exhaustion and the stress that comes with budget constraints.

After completing the final shoot, Norlian and Leibowitz returned home and faced another mountain: logging thousands of hours of footage and writing up transcripts. Similar to a narrative film script, a documentary script includes three acts, multiple locations, action and dialogue – only the dialogue comes from what the subjects in the film actually said. 

But it’s the structure of the documentary where the filmmakers got most creative. Inspired by the idea that mental health journeys are never linear, they wanted the film to reflect that twisting, winding road. 

“The film is meandering. You have the two timelines that intersect each other and that was obviously very purposeful, and it was a conversation that we had. Are we showing a linear film, where we start off Erika’s journey in America, then she gets to the mountain, then we come back to America, or something else? We decided we wanted the structure to meander, which is the whole theme of the film, so that’s why you have those intersecting timelines in America and Tanzania,” she says. 

Lessons from the Climb

Though the film isn’t about Norlian’s story, the experience of making it changed her both professionally and personally.

“I realized how much I could handle,” she says. “It helped me believe in myself in a way I hadn’t before. I learned that even in the most anxious moments, I can still show up. I can still tell the story.”

Advice to Aspiring Filmmakers

Norlian offers this advice to other storytellers: “Don’t wait for permission. Just do it. If there’s a story you’re passionate about, find a way to tell it.”

Though she was new to documentary filmmaking, she says she learned how to embrace the uncertainty. “We didn’t know what we were doing. But we knew how to tell a story, and we believed in the story we were telling. That was enough to start.”

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Meandering Scars is set to have its world premiere at Dances with Films on June 28 in Los Angeles, with hopes for a theatrical run and streaming deal to follow.

Follow Meandering Scars on Instagram @meanderingscars and BirdMine Productions at @birdminestories. Get tickets for the Dances With Films world premiere on June 28 at  https://danceswithfilms.com/meandering-scars/