Chapman colleges host screening, discussion of professor’s documentary on young woman with rare disorder
Three Chapman colleges, Dodge, Crean and Wilkinson hosted a screening and discussion of the documentary “Queen Moorea” as part of Wilkinson’s “Engaging the World” lecture series, which is focusing on health equity this year. Photo courtesy of Priscilla Gonzalez
Chapman professor Christine Fugate first met a young woman named Moorea Howson over six years ago at her daughter’s soccer game. At the time, Fugate was bald due to chemotherapy for her cancer. Howson, whose sister was on the same team, was one of the few people to speak to Fugate like any other human being.
“Moorea was the only person that spoke to me normally, like, ‘What’s up?’” said Fugate, an award-winning producer and director who teaches documentary and narrative film at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. “I was like, ‘I love this girl.’”
Howson has a rare genetic condition called Williams syndrome, which is caused by the deletion of chromosome seven, leading to various medical problems such as heart issues and learning difficulties.
“Queen Moorea” tells the story of Moorea Howson (left) who has a rare genetic condition called Williams syndrome. The documentary was filmed by Dodge professor Christine Fugate (center), who met Howson at her daughter’s soccer game over six years ago. Dodge College Dean Stephen Galloway (right) was also in attendance at the Nov. 6 screening. Photo courtesy of Robert Howso
Later on, at Fugate’s daughter’s homecoming dance, Howson was crowned homecoming queen, causing people to stand on their feet and cry. It was then that Fugate realized that she wanted to know more about Howson and learn about her path in life.
She decided to make a documentary on Howson’s life called “Queen Moorea.” The documentary, filmed over a span of six years, details how Howson’s life has been affected by Williams syndrome, and it also shows how Howson lives as normal of a teenage and young adult life as possible.
On Nov. 6, Dodge College, along with Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences and the Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences hosted a screening and discussion of “Queen Moorea” in the Folino Theater. The event served as part of this year’s Wilkinson “Engaging the World” series titled “Leading the Conversation on Health Equity.” The film has been shown at multiple festivals such as the Festival Inclús in 2022 and Slamdance Film Festival in 2023. The film also won the Audience Award at the Anchorage International Film Festival in 2022.
After attendees watched the half-hour documentary, Meghan Cosier, another Chapman professor who is also the director of the Thompson Policy Institute on Disability and Autism, moderated a discussion with Howson — who is now in her mid-20s doing volunteering and job training — and Fugate, along with Arthur Blaser, who teaches peace studies and political science and is the co-director of the disability studies minor. Audience members were allowed to ask questions after the discussion.
While describing the filming process for “Queen Moorea,” Fugate elaborated on her connection with Howson related to being survivors — Fugate of cancer and Howson of heart surgeries related to Williams syndrome.
“(Moorea’s) always said that we’re survivors,” Fugate said. “She said, ‘You and (I), we understand each other. We’re survivors.’ That I think has always been our bond.”
Howson shared a kind moment with Fugate when she shared how grateful she was that they met.
“I’m really glad that I found you because God told me to do the right thing and go meet you and say, ‘Hey, how’s your day?’ because I looked at you, and you looked sad,” Howson told Fugate. “That is really what blossomed our friendship. That time was just right for me to check in on you, and you opened up to me, and you said you had cancer. And I was like, ‘Wow, I'm a heart patient survivor.’”
Howson also expressed her appreciation to her parents for helping her navigate her disability instead of ignoring it or abandoning her. With their support, she has been able to find her purpose in life.
“I'm here for a reason,” Howson said. “I'm here to stay. I'm here to not give up. I'm here to fight for those who have disabilities.”
Undeclared sophomore Xitlalli Salgado went to the screening of “Queen Moorea.” Salgado decided to attend the event because she was interested as a person with a disability herself. She reflected on the slogan on the poster of “Queen Moorea,” “Being normal isn’t easy,” explaining that the film shows that there is more than one way to be normal.
“When I see media portrayals of disability, I usually am very interested because you don’t really see that much in terms of films, series and all that,” Salgado told The Panther. “(The film) combats what normal is, how it’s defined and that there’s more than just one type of person that can be considered normal.”