Filmmaker Christian Massa to Tell the Healing Journey of Gabby Murillo

Drunk driving affects tens of thousands of families every year. Statistically, if you have a room of five people, at least one of them will have a family member who’s been killed or seriously injured by drunk or high driving. It is a massive problem that isn’t going away or getting better. People arrested for drunk driving are at an increased risk of being arrested a second time for the same reason. Offenders don’t have steep enough punishment.

Christian Massa, a filmmaker, and actor, is looking to highlight one story and the journey of a drunk driving victim. His hope, and the hope of Gabby, is that by bringing attention and awareness to this serious issue, they can get justice and change.

Who is Christian Massa?

Christian Massa is an actor, filmmaker, and director. He has never shied away from challenging conversations, choosing instead to shine a spotlight on topics that pass below the radar. Christian is known for spreading awareness of complex issues such as suicidal ideation by co-directing My Suicide Story. This online documentary series spreads awareness and understanding by allowing survivors a space to talk about their experiences. Christian is known in the entertainment industry for his ability to share people’s stories.

Most recently, Christian started working on a documentary centered on Gabriella “Gabby” Murillo, the accident that changed her life and path forward. When he learned of Gabby’s story, Christian had an immediate and personal connection to her and her story. As a result, he has dedicated the next few months or years to a documentary that will highlight her challenges and seek justice for her.

Gabby’s Story

When Gabby was 22 years old, she had just landed her dream job. She was in her second year of an associate degree program at Gateway Community College and tried yet again to get into a highly competitive program. Finally, after several failed attempts, she was accepted into an internship with Disney. In love with anything Disney related (her favorite character is “The Little Mermaid”‘s Ariel), Gabby dreamed of working there one day and was delighted to work with her dream company.

Four weeks into the internship, on June 16, 2019, in Florida, Gabby was a passenger in the early morning when an alleged drunk driver rear-ended her car. Gabby’s spine was severed in the crash. She only has movement in her shoulders and above.

Gabby has said that it’s “like I died” in the accident because her life as she knew it stopped instantly because of an alleged drunk driver.

“I’m amazed that he’s getting away with it,” she added, speaking of the other driver. The man who collided with the car and caused Gabby’s life-altering injury was not charged. The reasons for that boils down to circumstances and Florida laws surrounding him leaving the scene. The driver got a ticket for the offence of reckless driving that was later dismissed in court.

These legal technicalities have left Gabby and her family feeling like the pain of the accident lingers, although Gabby has been improving physically. Gabby is in high spirits by using new therapies, working toward getting a service dog, and thinking about returning to college. But still, the fact that the allegedly drunk driver that did this to her had no consequences chafes.

Gabby has a pending civil case against the driver, but money isn’t the point. “Not just paying me, but for him to have a consequence,” she said. “I’ve heard of people getting into accidents where the person got away with it.”

A Documentary With a Goal

Christian heard of Gabby’s story and, like Gabby, wants to tell Gabby’s story. The feature-length documentary will follow Gabby’s journey, emphasizing the lack of justice in her case. Christian, with his brother Joe who is also involved, believes that it’s unacceptable for the man to live his life free of repercussions or consequences.

Gabby is excited about the feature-length documentary. Her goal with the documentary is to raise awareness of spinal cord injuries and to bring to light how often crashes happen where people are not held accountable.

A Big Problem

Drunk driving is a significant health and safety concern in the United States. Every day, roughly 32 people die in drunk-driving collisions. That works out to more than 11,600 people annually, or one person every 45 minutes. During the time it takes to complete an episode of the latest binge-worthy TV show, one person has been killed in a collision that could have been avoided.

In one year, approximately 1.5 million people are arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 1 out of every 121 licensed drivers has been arrested for drunk driving. Worse, on average, 33% of people arrested are repeat offenders. One-third of DUI arrests are for people convicted of drunk driving at least once, if not more. The system is arranged so that the offenders can go through the system, pay their fine, and then be gone on their merry way to have an increased chance of offending again.

Without lasting consequences, drunk drivers are not held accountable for their actions and the pain or damage they cause, leaving them feeling free to do it again.

A Family Affair

Christian is not alone in his ambition to bring Gabby’s story to the forefront of people’s minds. He’s joined by his brother, Joe Massa, who he’s collaborated with on projects like “My Suicide Story” and “Pressure.” With their Aunt Michelle acting as a co-producer, the family has gone all-in on Gabby’s story, hoping to bring justice and healing to her journey.

A Journey to Healing

After hearing of Gabby’s life-altering injury and the gross miscarriage of justice regarding the man who left her partially paralyzed, Christian Massa mobilized to bring as much exposure to her story as possible. He hopes to bring this documentary to as broad an audience as he can, hoping that it will lead to justice for Gabby.