When the camera helps you understand: a conversation about the making of a film about neurodiversity in Orange

Definitely yes. I’ve been working at Orange for a year – already in the first week of work one of my colleagues mentioned her ADHD in passing. It made me feel safe. I saw that it was possible to be myself in this company. Then I got involved in meetings of the community of neuroatypical people, and naturally the idea of a film came up.

I’ve been lucky – in the team I have two great experts in photo and video materials, Tomek Kociolkowski and Lukasz Slusarczyk. They create in-house materials on a daily basis and do it at a really top level. I wanted this project to be equally professional.

First, the guys and I prepared a questionnaire – questions about the experience, about what the person would like to convey with his presence in the film, but also about practical issues, such as what might be difficult for him during the recording. We wanted each person to feel comfortable.

It’s a little bit of a slipper mail. We didn’t announce it officially. We wanted the performing group to be diverse – by gender, by position, to represent different parts of the company. It was a challenge, but in the end we managed to assemble a great group.

We spent half a day with each person, recording conversations and additional shots in different spaces of our office. I sat across from them, we talked, and the camera just recorded the dialogue. For many, this felt surprisingly natural.

We collected a lot of material – it could make a feature-length film! 🙂 In the end it lasts 17 minutes, although we planned a five-minute recording.

It was Tom and Luke’s idea – they decided that with such a topic it was useful to have an outside perspective. An expert helped sort out some of the issues and gave the film a factual context.

The reactions were amazing. We premiered the film during “Days with Development.” First there was a short power speech by an expert about how neurodiversity is simply a feature, then a screening of the film and a conversation with representatives of other companies about their approach to the topic of neuroinclusion.

Feedback was positive – people who attended the event wrote that it was a valuable meeting. Someone mentioned that this video is the best advertisement for Orange, because it shows that you can really be yourself here.

I also received a lot of private messages. Some people wrote that it was only thanks to this film that they understood what neuroatypicality was and began to think about their own diagnosis. This shows how necessary it was.

It’s mostly a matter of people. My supervisor is extremely open – she allows me to act and trusts that I know what I’m doing. It is this openness that is key: you don’t need to know all the definitions of neuroatypicality to create a good work environment. It is enough to be empathetic and flexible to differences.

Not all managers need to be experts and experts on neurodiversity. But if they have understanding and can listen – that’s a lot. What I’ve often heard from people taking part in the film is that they have “great supervisors” – ones who can adapt to people, rather than stick to rigid rules.

It has certainly raised awareness. It has started to talk more about the topic, and I am now working to revitalize our neurocommunity. It’s meant to be a space for support and sharing experiences.

A tremendous amount. First – the feeling that I can be myself and that it works. Second – contact with people. And third – the belief that a corporation can be a place of authenticity and vulnerability.