10 March 13-19, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Altruistic Expression Filmmaker Donald Griswold celebrates non-directed kidney donation. BY AUSTIN ZOOK D onald Griswold’s directorial debut, the documentary fea- ture Abundant, is a moving, hu- man exploration of extreme altruism through the lens of non-directed kidney donations. The term “non-directed kidney dona- tions” refers to instances in which a person chooses to donate a kidney to a stranger in need. As one participant in the film explains, there is no tangible benefit to the donor. In fact, the procedure comes with risks. Yet people choose to go through this process to help those in need, for no reason other than a drive to help others. Griswold became initially interested in the topic after completing his first novel, Dy- ing Light, which features a storyline involv- ing organ donation. When he decided to pursue the topic as a feature film, he went deeper into the subject and was over- whelmed by what he learned. “It just seemed like it was really, really rich territory for subject matter, and even at that time, I had no idea the depth of this. It is just an incredible story,” says Griswold, who spent roughly seven years working on the project. Abundant is composed of sequences where donors share why they chose to en- gage in non-directed kidney donation, inter- spersed with Griswold in conversation with financial advisors, donors and even a Nobel Prize winner, about non-directed kidney do- nation and the foundations of this type of al- truism. The segments with donors telling their stories are part of a filmed stage perfor- mance at the Majestic Theatre in Dallas. Each donor is seen onstage in front of an au- dience while interpretive dancers move around them, reacting to the story beats. The dancers are an inspired choice, one that complements the stories being shared while adding visual flair to the documentary. Gris- wold says that was something he wanted to include from the project’s earliest days. “I’ve always thought that stage storytell- ing is incredibly underrated. It’s really com- pelling,” he says. The director was involved with the popular, true-life storytelling series Oral Fixation in Dallas around the time he began working on Abundant and saw first- hand how people who were unfamiliar with this type of performance could be swept up by it. While someone standing on stage and telling a story can be emotionally reso- nant, Griswold knew he wanted to find a way to make the experience more cine- matic for Abundant. The director ulti- mately worked with artist Avery-Jai Andrews to achieve this by incorporating the dance elements. To find their storytellers, Griswold says he and his producing partner, Laurie Lee (a kidney donor herself) did a national casting call, looking for people with stories that would stand out and resonate. Watching Griswold appear on screen, en- gaging in conversation inspired by non-di- rected kidney donation with donors and intellectuals, is the other compelling aspect of the documentary. The depth of his im- mersion in the world explored by the film, even his inclusion on screen, was something he had not originally envisioned. “It did not seem to me at all like this was going to be my journey when I started this project,” says Griswold, who, after years working on Abundant, had not decided to put himself on camera until the month be- fore they went into post-production. The director says he spent a lot of time intentionally trying to keep his subject mat- ter at a professional distance to maintain ob- jectivity. But as the project went on and he became more immersed in the stories being shared, he realized that his objectivity was fading away. “We joked around: Here’s my first docu- mentary and I failed at the one thing a docu- mentarian should do, and that’s remain objective,” Griswold says with a laugh. He eventually realized that his loss of objectiv- ity and the impact the project had on him had become, in its own way, the story of the film. It is not hard to see why someone would lose objectivity when watching Abundant. The stories are personal and powerful, mov- ing and inspirational in equal measure. They are, at their core, about saving lives and not just giving back, but giving forward to peo- ple you may never meet. Where the Heart Is Dallas singer-songwriter Larry Gayao, bet- ter known as Larry g(EE), knows what it means to be on the receiving end of this type of generosity. He was diagnosed with advanced kidney disease in May 2023 and, when he learned that his sister would not be able to be his donor, found himself rely- ing on the kindness of strangers to save his life. The Observer ran an article on Gayao’s situation in late 2024, and Gayao says the re- sponse was overwhelming. “I had gotten … messaged by a number of people I never knew, and they all basically told me they were going to offer their kidney to me,” he says. “They just asked for the link so that they could apply.” In January, Gayao announced that a match had been found and the transplant would be scheduled for later this year. Due to HIPAA regulations, Gayao is not aware of who his donor is, or whether they are a fan or a complete stranger. “The thought of a stranger … giving that piece of themselves to extend your life… I’m speechless sometimes in a way [thinking about] the humanity,” says Gayao. “I don’t take any of that for granted. And I feel like in a lot of ways, it’s made me a better person, just knowing the fact that these people did not know me from anyone, yet they were willing, because of … my story, to give me a chance at life.” Gayao says that anyone dealing with health issues like those he was confronted with should continue telling their story be- cause when the right person hears it, he has seen what a difference it can make. That message is especially impactful after watching Abundant, which beautifully shares the stories of people who heard about someone like Gayao and decided to act. Saying a film can save lives makes for a nice pullquote, but rarely holds up under scrutiny. With Abundant, Donald Gris- wold and his collaborators have created a work of art that not only can save lives, but, as viewers will learn, already has, by bringing good people together and cham- pioning kindness, selflessness and the power of storytelling. ▼ Culture Courtesy of Donald Griswold Abundant uses dance to enhance the documentary’s storytelling.
