Joanna Rudnick’s first reaction upon finding out she had the BRCA1 gene mutation was to slip into a self-protective state of denial and secrecy. She confided only in family members and a couple of close friends, then stopped talking about it. But inwardly, her mind was a muddle of information, decisions and fear.

Having the genetic mutation gave Joanna, who was 27 at the time, a 36 to 85 percent chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime and a 16 to 60 percent chance of having ovarian cancer. Stories about BRCA usually compare it to a ticking time bomb. Suddenly, she felt isolated, especially from other friends her age. Who could possibly understand what she was going through? Most young women don’t have doctors and genetic counselors talking to them about having their breasts and ovaries removed. They can date without feeling the pressure to find Mr. Right in time to start a family, and they don’t have to worry about passing on a dangerous health legacy to their children. She barely understood it all herself.

That was then. Today, during a phone interview, you can almost see Joanna’s warm brown eyes sparkling as she enthusiastically talks about her life and her desire to help other women. Directing In the Family, a documentary about BRCA that features her own story, was an act of liberation. “One of the greatest gifts I received from making this film was being able to talk about it, talking very openly about my own fears about getting ovarian and breast cancer,” she says. “This generation is the first to have this information, and I wanted to normalize it.”