I'm Fujiwara Momona, an actor.

Wheelchair user Momona is pursuing a career in acting.

"I wish we could've sat together."

She appeared in a TV drama this year

even though acting opportunities for those with disabilities are very few.

As an actor, as a person with a disability, but more than anything, as herself,

Momona wants to live her own way.

Momona is in her senior year of university.

With a friend, she rehearses a play they'll perform together.

Momona says she eats, sleeps and breathes acting.

In high school, I was in the drama club.

As I acted on stage, playing parts
in all kinds of stories...

I came to really enjoy
freely portraying a character.

Momona needs a respirator.

This is due to her condition that causes her muscles to gradually weaken.

She's been using a wheelchair since childhood.

When she started university, she left the family nest to live on her own.

More than twenty caregivers assist her with everyday needs,

meaning that for the majority of her daily life, someone is by her side.

Needing support is simply a reality of life for Momona.

Naturally, when she's acting too, she requires assistance.

She first decided to pursue an acting career two years ago.

She joined a program for training actors with disabilities and honed her acting skills.

Then, she took an audition and landed a part in a short TV drama - a story of two friends with disabilities.

"How about a movie?
It's easy for us to get there."

"Great. I haven't been
to one in ages."

- "See you soon."
- "Bye."

But because she's in a wheelchair,

Momona's character, Asako, has to watch the film from the front row alone.

In her acting, Momona could channel her own personal experience dealing with social inequalities.

"That feeling of being on
the fringes of society..."

"I want to get rid of it."

"Me too."

"Let's get rid of it."

"Let's live in the middle."

Something I poured my heart and soul into
was released to the public.

It was like all the distress I felt
and struggles I'd been through...

had finally paid off
through that project.

It's said that more than fifteen percent of the world's population has a form of disability.

However, there are very few films and TV series featuring disabled people.

One actor in the US is working to change that.

"Hello! I am Nic Novicki,

the Founder and Director of

the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge,

coming to you live

from the Sundance Film Festival!"

"Each film has to have somebody

with a disability, but the films

don't have to be about disability."

"It's just about inclusion."

Ten years ago, Nic launched a creative project for filmmaking teams that include people with disabilities.

Over the years, he realized the importance for disabled people

to play an active part behind the scenes as well.

"And also, what's been so cool is... is we're seeing authentic representation in the writer room, too."

"So, not only in front of the camera, but behind the camera."

"And I think that's really going to be the future of authentic representation

when you're able to see people with disabilities behind the camera."

Through acting, Momona began to think about ways of depicting people with disabilities.

She decided to write an original screenplay.

It started when she met Ota Akito, a fellow budding actor.

Akito is afflicted with a condition that makes it difficult for her eyes to adjust to light.

Sunglasses are a must during daytime.

Spending time with Akito inspired Momona to create a character in her image.

A young woman who lives in a shared house and loves baking sweets.

The story's cast of characters living together all have disabilities.

Yet, instead of writing about the struggles of having a disability,

Momona focuses on depicting their simple daily lives.

I could write a touching story
about your disability.

But I'm more interested in other things
about you like how you're great at baking...

and how you have quite a sharp tongue.
That's more interesting to me!

It's true, people often tell me
I have a sharp tongue.

Akito shares Momona's vision of a story that's very close to her own daily life.

It's not about actors with disabilities
working hard to overcome difficulties.

Each character is a unique individual.

Momona feels people with disabilities are too often portrayed according to stereotypes.

I'm tired of stories focusing
on disabilities.

I think I've had my fill.

Every person is made up
of many different aspects.

But just because a person has
a noticeable disability...

that's the only thing stories focus on.

But we each have so many other facets
to our lives and personalities.

It feels great when people
focus on those aspects, too.

It also helps me feel more accepting
of my own disability.

Momona wants to live freely, as her true and complete self.

I simply strive to enjoy
to the fullest...

the things I want to do,
the things I find fun and exciting.

First, I want to keep on acting.
I also want to take on many challenges.

Right now...

that's what I'm most excited about.