Member Spotlight: Daniele Wieczorek

A young woman with long hair enjoys a fun day out in the sun. She stands smiling in an open-air field, holding a colorful frisbee. Her hair blows in the gentle wind as she breathes in the fresh air. The woman is dressed casually and appears happy and carefree. She wears a pierced earring, and in her hand, you can see she is special. She is absorbed in the moment and appears to be waiting for someone while playing catch.

Brazilian LA-based creative producer with 16 years of experience across content creation and production, Dani Wieczorek, had the privilege to collaborate on award-winning multimedia projects for Netflix, A24, Usher, Victoria's Secret, Sony, Universal, Searchlight Pictures, YouTube, Google, and Uber.

Born with a disability, Dani has a journey where unimagined things were proven possible. She believes her incredible capacity to solve problems to be a special power brought to her by her disability. She has defied the odds and found ways to hack life from a young age. Nothing seems impossible to her.

Driven by creativity, innovation, and how to impact the world positively, Dani is currently leading the production of the independent documentary PRESENTE! (a cross-generational story about a new wave of Black women occupying positions of political leadership) and is part of Sunshine Company, the executive production team for Victoria's Secret: The Tour'23 (part documentary, part fashion fantasy, a collaborative film between Victoria's Secret and global artists - available on Amazon Prime).

IDA: Please tell us a little about yourself; What is your profession or passion?

Dani Wieczorek: A close friend says I'm a real-born producer. Since I was really young, I have been the maker of things. I used to organize the school group papers, was elected the graduation committee's class representative, and have always been the party and travel planner for my friends and family.

When I got my first job in an agency at 19, I was placed in the production department and quickly understood how much I love to bring ideas to life. Looking back, it was very natural for me, and I've been developing my career organically.

Maturity gave me a sense of responsibility for what I was producing and the types of projects I wanted to participate in. Representation became something I vigorously fight for, and PRESENTE! has been an incredible opportunity for me to implement inclusive practices and get a more integrated way of working while representing underrepresented communities.

IDA: How and when did you start to work in the documentary field?

DW: While I've done some documentary content creation in Brazil, my filmmaking documentary journey began in 2020 when I met Livia Perini, the Director of PRESENTE!, and asked how I could help her without imagining she would invite me to produce the film with her. Soon after, I joined the Sunshine Company and collaborated with the production of entertainment projects, such as the VS Voices podcast Season 1 and The Tour'23 film.

IDA: Tell us a little about your work.

DW: I've been working with and in production since 2007. I started in a digital advertising agency in Brazil, and I remember like it was yesterday the rush and excitement of my first produced commercial. That feeling guided me. In 2014, I started to work closely with entertainment properties, beginning a 4-year journey alongside Netflix, marketing their Originals across Brazil and Latin America. In 2018, I moved to the US and have been here since then. It's been an intense and incredible journey, and I couldn't imagine even if I planned. I'm grateful for all the projects that came my way, and I know there is much more to come. I'm so passionate about what I do, and that's the main thing that keeps me going. I'm open and interested in collaborating with projects that positively change the world. Documentary is a powerful tool to illuminate what needs light, and I hope to bring healing with my work.

IDA: What do you do to gain inspiration in life and for your work?

DW: I'm a huge fan of documentaries and real-life stories. I feel my world expanding whenever I hear or learn about someone with a completely different perspective or reality than mine, and I'm fascinated with humans who defy the odds. I see beauty in courage; our minds are much more powerful than we give them credit. That kind of stories push me to be better and do better every day.

IDA: What advice do you have for someone who wants to start their documentary career?

DW: Get clarity about who you are and what impact you want to have in the world. That will guide your journey and keep you resilient whenever it feels too hard.

IDA: Anything you would like to share with our members?

DW: Love and knowledge are two powerful gifts we can give others without losing anything ourselves. I'm happy to be here if you need any of these. A united community is a stronger community.