Former Santa Barbara City College student Daniel A. Nelson got a call at 34 that changed his life.
The phone call was from his brother, a brother he never knew he had.
Nelson, a cinematographer and documentary filmmaker, turned the surprise moment into a documentary short called “Are You My Brother?”
“This was crazy,” Nelson said. “Like I had a brother for this whole time and never knew that he existed. I couldn’t believe that this was like a reality that was happening. So of course I wanted to meet him. I felt like I had to meet him.”
The moment they meet as adults is captured in the film, which is not in mass distribution, but expected to be widely available later this year.
The short has already played in some festivals and theaters on the East Coast. It’s the latest film for Nelson, whose cinematography can also be seen in the documentary film “The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson,” which is currently streaming on Netflix.
The movie documents the life and mysterious death of Johnson, a trans woman and gay rights activist, in New York City.
But Nelson got his start in journalism at Santa Barbara City College in the journalism department, and on the student newspaper, The Channels. He went on to report sports for the Santa Barbara Daily Sound, before transferring to San Francisco State University, where he worked as a beat reporter covering the San Francisco Giants.
Nelson is a guest on the latest podcast episode of Santa Barbara Talks with Josh Molina.
Nelson moved to Santa Barbara in 2007, where he attended City College and lived in Isla Vista.
He credits his parents, who were both sports reporters for the Associated Press, with inspiring him in his career trajectory.
“Journalism was kind of always in my background, in my blood,” Nelson said. “They were both sports writers. And so I always had sort of that around me growing up. So when I got to Santa Barbara and City College, that felt like something to do. You know, I figured if they could make a career and a living out of it, then I could probably give it a go as well.”
Here are some highlights of the podcast episode:
- Santa Barbara City College memories: Nelson reflects on his time at City College
- Family legacy: Nelson shares how his parents, both Associated Press sports writers, influenced his career
- Filmmaking: Nelson discusses his transition from sports writing to filmmaking, including his work on the film,”The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson.”
- Are You My Brother? Nelson talks about his latest documentary “Are You My Brother?” which explores the discovery of the brother, Oscar, he never knew and the journey of connecting with him and their father.