What if the point of a story wasn’t conflict—but something more subtle, more layered, and more human? In this episode, award-winning director and producer Donald Conley joins Mishu to talk about the evolving shape of story, the language of tension, and how Nonviolent Communication changed the way he writes characters, builds scenes, and approaches collaboration.

Donald Conley is a filmmaker whose work orbits themes of justice, memory, and emotional honesty. He’s produced documentaries distributed by Netflix, PBS, and Max—including Dallas, 2019, a 5-part socio-political series for Independent Lens. His short documentary Matriarch and narrative short About Time have screened at major festivals across the U.S. and Canada, including the 60th Annual Chicago International Film Festival. He’s currently directing a feature doc on the 1970 Syracuse 8 boycott and its legacy in college football.

In this episode, we talk about Tension vs. trauma: how Donald builds story without defaulting to conflict

• Redefining narrative structure with empathy at the center
• Recasting the role of the antagonist
• The cost—and value—of slowing down the creative process
• Directing intimacy with care, conversation, and consent

Follow Donald on Instagram @meekley for updates on About Time, his current doc project, and more.

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You can follow us on Instagram and TikTok @mischiefpod. Produced by @ohhmaybemedia.