The Work That Made Me: Jade Sacker

Jade Sacker is a documentary photographer and filmmaker currently based in New York.

Jade has worked as a journalist, filmmaker, and human rights activist, covering stories related to conflict, displacement, and indigenous identity in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. After starting as an NGO photographer in Nepal and Kenya, she travelled to Myanmar and Bangladesh to cover the Rohingya genocide as an independent journalist. Jade then transitioned to a staff position at the Phnom Penh Post in Cambodia. 

Jade began her first long-term project in Northern Syria at 20 years old by volunteering for and embedding in the Kurdish military. She returned for a year to work at the United Nations Headquarters in New York while formally studying Documentary Practice at the International Centre of Photography. She then began her career in filmmaking in 2020 with A House Divided, which is about a month away from going to sale. 

Jade's Native American and Jewish Heritage informs her work. Her family refused to talk about the past and all that they had lost. But as Jade grew older, she recognised that without understanding and accountability, there is no clear way to move forward, and no sense of resolution. Her aim is to create visual narratives that transcend boundaries, inviting viewers to step into the reality of her subjects and experience their world. Jade believes in the power of photography to evoke empathy, spark conversation, and challenge preconceptions.

The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…

Jade> I remember watching The Smashing Pumpkins’ Tonight Tonight, and it felt so magical, mystical, and moving. The bright colours, the sets, the costumes, and the feeling like I was entering into a world that wasn’t like the one I’d seen in reality - I flash back to it a lot! And then I was told that it’s actually a reference to the very first science-fiction film 'A Trip to the Moon', from 1903, by George Melies, and I was doubly blown away!

The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…

Jade> I adore all of Peggy Sirota’s work, and especially admire her use of colour and evocative way of directing talent. An up and coming director that also inspires me is Anne Sophie Bine, her commercials are so fun and engaging!

I’m excited to challenge myself creatively, make new connections, and hopefully make content that sparks joy and emotion. 

The creative work that I keep revisiting…

Jade> I constantly revisit the documentary 'Restrepo' directed by Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington. Its raw portrayal of soldiers in Afghanistan and the bond they share is a testament to the power of immersive storytelling.

My first professional project…

Jade> I would consider my documentary photography project, 'The Plight of the Rohingya,' my first professional project. It documented the plight of internally displaced Rohingya in Myanmar. As of 2012, Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya are barely surviving on scant government food rations, all but non-existent access to healthcare, dilapidated housing shelters, and the perpetual fear of renewed attacks on their communities.

The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…

Jade> I don't have any particular answer, but I do not like it when I feel nonfiction pieces are being sensationalised. 

The piece of work that still makes me jealous…

Jade> I’m incredibly jealous of James Nachtway’s multi-media pieces for Time, such as 'Opioid Diaries.' I think the layout is beautiful and viscerally heart breaking. 

The creative project that changed my career…

Jade> My last feature film, ‘A House Divided,’ changed my career and taught me how to direct. During a time of unprecedented political polarisation, 'A House Divided' tells the story of two brothers, both African American and adopted at birth by a White Mormon family, who turned political rivals as they search for an understanding of their identities, familial trauma, race in America, and personal ideologies in the lead-up to, and aftermath of, the 2020 US Presidential Election. 

John and James Sullivan rose to prominence on opposite sides of the political aisle, one a leader in the BLM movement and the other in the Patriot Movement. ‘A House Divided’ captures their journeys to find their voices as thought leaders, Black men in America, activists, sons, and brothers. Most importantly, 'A House Divided' reveals the humanity in both their family, torn apart by political polarization and unresolved family secrets, and America as the country experiences a racial reckoning and is forced to acknowledge the scars of its history.

It also showed me how to responsibly approach a story, and to take into consideration that there is no one side to a story: that a story is endlessly weaved around multiple perspectives. As someone just starting in the industry, I feel like making “A House Divided” was a strong balancing act between telling a story that could appeal to others beyond what was literally be showing (from critics such as Carlos Valladares to producers such as John Legend) and being true to myself, my values, and what I feel is the truth, which is always so complicated yet beautiful. 

The work that I’m proudest of…

Jade> My project 'Beyond the Line' intimately depicts the life of one family separated by migration as they work to reconnect after 15 years apart. The children involved contributed their photos and writing to the project, creating a collaborative, solutions-oriented book currently exhibited at the Lewis Latimer House in New York.  

I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…

Jade> Looking back, my early photography work feels amateurish. I was still learning about the technical aspects of photography and how to use DSLR’s, so the composition and exposures were often a bit off!

The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…

Jade> I am working on a project in the heart of opioid-stricken Appalachia. A former addict once radicalised in prison and now a year and three months sober undertakes a profound journey. Guided by the eighth step of his Narcotics Anonymous program, he strives to break free from the grip of a dangerous gang, make amends to those he's victimised, and embark on an emotional quest for reconciliation with his 16-year-old transgender son. 'Reforming Shadows' is an intimate documentary that illuminates the enduring impact of addiction, explores the shadows of intergenerational trauma, and holds a mirror to the healing potential within a fractured nation.