Exclusive Interview: Filmmaker J.Brown and Yvonne Chapman on Dragon Fruit, the Art of Indie Filmmaking, and Capturing Working-Class Resilience

J.Brown is an emerging storyteller redefining the boundaries of independent filmmaking. With a distinctive voice and a passion for using art as a lens for social commentary, he creates poignant narratives that provoke thought and conversation. His short film, Dragon Fruit, is a haunting exploration of resilience and survival in a dystopian world where the gap between the haves and have-nots has reached devastating extremes. Through his work, J.Brown fills an important gap in the industry, blending visually striking storytelling with themes grounded in the struggles of everyday life.

At the heart of Dragon Fruit is Yvonne Chapman’s powerful performance as Mother, a lone woman navigating a violent, smog-filled world while struggling to provide for her son. With minimal dialogue, Chapman relies on nuance, depth, and physicality to bring the character to life, making the mother’s plight heartbreakingly real. The story follows her as she nurtures a dragon fruit sprout in hopes of one day selling it for enough money to escape her brutal existence—or at least find a moment of reprieve. Chapman’s ability to convey the character’s quiet determination and vulnerability elevates the film, creating a deeply human story of survival and resilience.

In this exclusive interview, J.Brown and Yvonne Chapman share the journey of bringing Dragon Fruit to life, from the challenges of crafting a largely dialogue-free narrative to the inspirations drawn from today’s pressing social and environmental issues. They discuss the collaborative energy of independent filmmaking, the intentionality behind every frame, and the ways the story resonates with audiences. Together, they reflect on the film’s powerful themes, the impact they hope it will have, and what’s next for this deeply personal project.

PC: J.Brown, independent filmmakers often take creative risks that are less common in mainstream studio productions. Your decision to create a film primarily without dialogue is a bold choice—it invites the audience to interpret the story in their own way but also demands a great deal from the cast to convey its depth and nuance. How did you go about assembling your ensemble? As the writer-director, how did you foster an environment on set that allowed them to elevate your framework into the compelling performances we see on screen?
J.Brown: I got extraordinarily lucky with the cast. It all started with my friend Chris Gauthier, who unfortunately passed away about a year ago. Chris played a huge role in getting the word out about this project. He thought it was cool and shared it with the acting community around town, which gave me credibility early on.

During the pandemic lockdown, I was making props for the film and posting them on Instagram, just as a way to pass the time. Those posts caught the attention of local actors, and that’s how we ended up with our amazing lead, Yvonne Chapman. I truly can’t imagine the film without her—she carries the entire performance on her back. The rest of the cast came together just as organically, and we were so fortunate to have such a talented group.

As an animator by trade, I’m used to crafting performances frame by frame, so working with actors was a refreshing change. With this cast, I could step back and let them do their thing. My approach as a director was to set clear markers—“hit this mark, this mark, and this mark”—but in between, it was all on them to interpret and explore. I also intentionally leave a lot of space in my scripts for actors to bring their own ideas to the characters. I know where the story is headed, but I want them to make the characters their own. It’s such a rewarding process when they elevate what’s on the page into something greater.

PC: That connection definitely comes through in the film. Yvonne, there’s an ongoing conversation in the creative field about the balance between lived experiences and the imaginative aspects of storytelling. With this role being such a departure for you, how did you find the connective tissue to make the character feel authentic? And in areas where your experiences differed, how did you bring that believability to the screen?
Yvonne: That’s such a great question. There’s a universal aspect to the story—this struggle to navigate a world with broken systems and to find perseverance despite it all. For me, that was the core of what I connected to with this character. On top of that, there’s the love and bond she shares with her adopted son, which is such a central theme in the film.

Those themes of family and resilience are such a salient entry point for humanizing the character. We’re all trying to carve out a life for ourselves and our loved ones, so that felt deeply relatable, even though her circumstances are completely different from mine. Thankfully, that core emotional experience was something I could connect with easily, even as she faced incredibly difficult situations in the story.

PC: I feel like audiences can really see themselves in this character. J.Brown, you mentioned earlier that you built the props and costumes yourself. Can you dive into the process of finding the balance between creating these visually stunning elements that make the film feel grand in scale while also ensuring they remain practical and elevate your actors’ performances?
J.Brown: Absolutely. As I mentioned, I usually work digitally, so it was incredibly refreshing to work hands-on and physically craft something for a change. I’m also a Mythbusters guy—I’ve watched all the Lord of the Rings special features—and I’ve always loved making things, so I really threw myself into it.

During the pandemic, with so much downtime and no socializing, I had the opportunity to really focus on crafting props and costumes. It elevated the production value across the board, which set a higher standard for everything else. When it comes to the visuals, crafting so much of the production design myself allowed me to shape it to complement other elements of the film. For instance, I could ensure that a costume’s silhouette would look striking in certain compositions, drawing on animation principles like strong silhouettes and thoughtful framing to enhance the overall look of the film.

I’ve been lucky to work on big projects, including doing previs for Shane Black, where my main job was helping design action sequences. One thing Shane always emphasized was tying visuals to the characters. He’d say, “Whose perspective is this from?” If a shot—like an explosion—doesn’t connect to the characters, it loses meaning. That really stuck with me.

In this film, I made sure every visual element was grounded in the characters’ experiences. It’s what makes those visuals resonate with the audience. In a world where AI and social media constantly bombard us with eye-catching imagery, creating something meaningful—something tied to the story and characters—makes all the difference. That’s what keeps the visuals from feeling hollow and gives them lasting impact.

PC: That’s a great answer. I feel like you could make an entire film just from the behind-the-scenes content about building these props—it was fascinating to follow on the film’s Instagram page. Yvonne, as someone who’s worked extensively in the sci-fi and fantasy realm, how aware were you of everything J.Brown was doing with the props and costumes? How did the detail he put into his work help you tap into who this woman was?
Yvonne: I was incredibly aware, and I’m so thankful for J.Brown’s intentionality with everything he crafted. Every single piece of clothing had a purpose and a meaning. The layers I wore and the way everything was contextualized made it feel like her life was truly lived in those clothes.

This character’s spirit—her drive and livelihood—was so tied to her identity, and the costumes reflected that perfectly. For example, the hat became such a crucial part of who she was, representing her resilience and her hope as she worked to provide for her family. There was even a small sunshine sticker on it, which symbolized her optimism and her determination to push through to the other side of her struggles.

Having such intentional, lived-in details is such a gift for an actor. When you wear something that feels like a second skin, it makes it so much easier to fully inhabit the character. It grounds you in their reality and elevates the performance in ways that feel completely natural.

PC: J.Brown, this project began as a proof of concept and evolved into a journey of finding your voice as a filmmaker. How did Dragon Fruit shape the kinds of stories you want to tell moving forward? How does it align with your own visual language?
J.Brown: The process of making Dragon Fruit and the time in which it was made marked a turning point for me. It was the first time in my life that I could call myself an artist and truly believe it—it didn’t feel like bullsh*t anymore. This film feels relevant, and that’s something I realized I care deeply about as an artist.

Moving forward, I want my work to be relevant and to comment on the times we’re living in. We’re obviously in pretty interesting times, and I believe art has a responsibility to reflect and engage with that. I want to create work that has something to say, that resonates with people’s experiences, and that feels consequential. My goal is to use my visual language to make art that speaks to the world we’re navigating now—art that has meaning and leaves an impact.

PC: You’ve definitely achieved that with this film. Yvonne, there’s so much restraint and subtlety in your performance, which makes it incredibly compelling to watch. I imagine that when dialogue isn’t present, the default for many actors might be to exaggerate or overexpress. While that can work for certain stories, it would have felt out of place here and done a disservice to both your character and J.Brown’s script. How did the openness of this canvas impact your creative process? Did you lean more into your practice of journaling from your character’s perspective to find her voice? What did this project teach you about your craft?
Yvonne: It was such an interesting process. Typically, words are an actor’s main vehicle and tool, but in this case, it was all about her circumstances. I really leaned into those circumstances and allowed myself to feel everything that was happening in her world. What made that possible—and honestly, so rewarding—was that J.Brown had crafted everything with such intentionality, from the clothing to the set. Every single element had a purpose. Everything I touched or interacted with on set added depth to her world and helped me tap into her emotions.

In terms of process, journaling didn’t quite work for this role. It felt like she was living moment by moment, just trying to survive each day as it came. Her struggle was so immediate, and that made it less about reflecting on her past or future and more about fully embodying her present. That collective energy on set—the focus and presence of everyone involved—really carried the performance to where it needed to be.

You’re absolutely right that this role required a subtle approach. Her isolation, her independence, and her sense of being alone in a society that didn’t support her made her journey one of quiet resilience. Any exaggerated expression would have distracted from her story and the tone of the film. For me, it was about honoring that quiet strength and making her struggles feel as real and grounded as possible.

J.Brown: What Yvonne does in this film is remarkable—her face is covered for almost half of it, so much of her performance relies on her physicality. She’s incredible at hitting striking poses that read perfectly on camera, conveying emotions, what she’s feeling, the urgency of the situation, and so much more. I think with a lesser actor, it wouldn’t have been possible because we didn’t give her much to work with. Her face is covered, she’s in the moment, and she just has to deliver—and she absolutely nailed it.

PC: J.Brown, you faced so much adversity with this project. What did you learn about your craft while working on this film? Was there a scene that even surprised you with how well it turned out, given everything you went through during production?
J.Brown: My biggest takeaway is that I can do this—that I’m capable of pulling off something of this scale, even if it takes five years. It’s doable. The final scene in the film is where everything comes together, and pulling that off felt like the biggest victory.

Because of pandemic restrictions, everyone working full time, and only being able to shoot on evenings and weekends, we didn’t have rehearsals. The first time I heard my words spoken live was on set, in the moment, and I was just thinking, “Hopefully, this works.” And it did. We stuck the landing.

The film is long for a short, but that’s intentional. You need to go on this journey with her—you need to feel invested, both emotionally and with your time. We tried cutting it down, but it made the film worse. There are moments that need room to breathe, time to sink in. By the time we reach that final scene, it ties everything together and really hammers it home. It’s one of those moments where all the challenges were worth it.

PC: That final scene feels very slice-of-life and daring in the direction you took audiences. Yvonne, you got your start in indie filmmaking, an environment many artists find incredibly rewarding. How does that creative space inspire you, and what do you find most valuable about working on these types of projects?
Yvonne: J.Brown, I’m going to embarrass you here, but I truly loved watching him work. He poured so much literal blood, sweat, and tears into this project. Every single person who came out to work on this film was part of a community that believed in him, the project, and the storytelling. That sense of community and passion is exactly why I wanted to become an actor in the first place.

That’s not to say you don’t feel that on bigger sets, but there’s a completely different vibe here. When you have someone who’s involved in every single part of the production and a group of people giving their own time to bring something so personal to life—it’s just special. It goes back to the roots of filmmaking for me. Like you mentioned, I started in indie filmmaking, and I don’t think I’ll ever step away from it because that collaborative, deeply personal energy is what I absolutely love about it.

PC: I think indie filmmaking is producing some of the best projects we’re seeing today. There’s also something beautifully tragic about Mother’s journey—the day-to-day grind and her tireless work to accomplish something meaningful. For both of you as storytellers, completing the film is the ultimate destination, with its reception being an added bonus. Having taken this film to so many festivals, what has it meant to each of you to see the response it’s received? What has it been like to experience that feedback in a shared space with audiences?
Yvonne: It’s wild. I’ll speak for myself, but I always feel like you’re working in a vacuum on set. You’re in this bubble with the crew, doing your best to give it everything you’ve got. Personally, I don’t take it lightly that people spend their time, money, and energy to watch what we’ve created. I want them to have an enjoyable experience and also take something meaningful away from it. With that in mind, you never really know what the response will be until it’s out there. Seeing the overwhelmingly positive feedback has been incredible—it’s everything you hope for when you put your work into the world. It’s been absolutely wild to experience, but with J.Brown’s talent, I can’t say I’m surprised. Kudos to him.

J.Brown: Thank you, Yvonne, you’re too kind. For me, it’s been an interesting journey. You spend so much time with your head down working on a project like this, especially since it took so long. Post-production alone was over a year, and by that point, you’re so deep in it, you can lose perspective. Some days things work in the edit; other days, they don’t, and you just have to make it work. By the end, it’s less about being happy with the film and more about finding a place where you can be at peace with it.

The first time I saw it with an audience was during our cast and crew screening. About 100 people showed up, and I had been watching it alone in my dark office for months. Three minutes in, I had a huge panic attack because I realized, “This isn’t just me watching it anymore.” [laughs] But the response was overwhelmingly positive, and it caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting people to connect with it the way they did.

When we started submitting to festivals, we faced a lot of rejections, but the ones we got into tended to award us because the film really resonates with people. It’s a working-class story, made by working-class people, and it speaks to the priorities of those who live day-to-day. It doesn’t matter what’s happening in the wider world—whether it’s COVID, an election, or something else—the bottom line is you still have to get to work. The film touches on that reality, the grind of the average person who doesn’t have the luxury of focusing on the bigger picture. They just have to survive. That’s what this story is really about.

PC: That must be so rewarding for both of you, seeing the film grow in relevancy over the years. What’s next for the film itself and for each of you?
J.Brown: Right now, we’re on a For Your Consideration campaign, trying to see if we can make the Academy Awards shortlist. We’ll find out soon, and if not, we’ll keep moving forward. Eventually, the film will end up on YouTube—I want as many people as possible to see it. Beyond that, I’m working on a feature version of the story. When it’s ready, Yvonne will be the first to see it. But for now, it still needs a bit more time in the oven.

Yvonne: Like J.Brown said, you’ve got to get back to work. It’s a constant process of putting things out there that we truly love, enjoy, and feel passionate about. That’s what I’m focused on—continuing to work with great people, which I’ve been lucky to have on this film. I’m excited to see where this journey takes us next.

Make sure to follow J.Brown (Instagram) and Yvonne (X/Instagram). Learn more about Dragon Fruit on the film’s official website.