The act of healing takes many forms. From the healing of a physical trauma, to the healing that takes place within our hearts and minds, to the healing of a system — the work is never done. This round of crowdfunding picks offers three projects taking on the myriad processes of healing.
The documentary “Wild Darlings Sing the Blues (And It’s a Song of Freedom)” focuses on the spiritual healing of wounds, inflicted throughout generations of trauma, in the BIPOC community. Meanwhile, the animated short “The Romantics” gives the audience a glimpse of what it is like to lose oneself in a relationship and the measures it might take to find oneself again.
Finally, “Birthing the Truth” is a docuseries which strives to educate on the systemic failures inflicted on Black, Indigenous, and Brown people who give birth, in the hopes of creating a better tomorrow.
Here are Women and Hollywood’s latest crowdfunding picks.
“I’m making this film because I want to amplify the stories of magic and resilience in the Black, queer experience,” Nova Scott James, director and co-producer of “Wild Darlings Sing the Blues (And It’s a Song of Freedom),” says in the above video.
The doc follows the Wild Darlings, a healing arts and media collective of Black women and non-binary artists on their road trip from New York to a Mississippi plantation, where they will use their spiritual gifts to bless the land and honor their ancestors. The collective is made up of three elders and eight Darlings. In August of 2019, they participated in a spiritual retreat, dedicated to ancestral healing work. This was where their journey began.
“The Wild Darlings approach abuse through the lens of ancestral trauma,” states the Kickstarter campaign. “This journey to the site of America’s core wound is a physicalization of the work done by each cast-member: to revisit painful memories, and to alchemize suffering into wisdom and magic.”
Learn more about “Wild Darlings Sing the Blues” and donate on Kickstarter.
“The Romantics” (Short) – Directed by Chineme Aniagba; Written by Maya Sims
You’ve seen it happen before: your friend gets a new boyfriend/girlfriend/partner, and as they spend more and more time with them, your friend begins to slip away from you. In the sci-fi short animation “The Romantics,” the codependence in a new relationship is taken too far, as Olivia becomes so obsessed with her relationship to Mickey she starts to transform into someone new. She isolates herself from her two best friends, Blondie and Celeste, even as they beg her to take some time away from her boyfriend. When Olivia’s obsession starts to physically manifest, she and her friends must tap into the supernatural to try and save her relationship and herself.
“‘The Romantics’ explores themes of femme friendship and isolation, as it deconstructs relationships in the media from the perspective of a young, black woman,” according to the project’s Kickstarter campaign.
The animation features a vibrant color pallet and exceptional character designs by the lead character designer and animation director Mariah Marshall. “Imagine the vibrant visuals and irreverence of ‘Scott Pilgrim,’ the surreal, rom-com-y elements of ‘Man Seeking Woman,’ and also your buddy who knows your star chart by heart,” the campaign teases.
Get ready to fall in love with “The Romantics,” just be careful not to become too obsessed.
Learn more about “The Romantics” and donate on Kickstarter.
“Birthing the Truth” (Docuseries) – Directed by Diana David
While advances in medicine and medical care seem to be made every day, there are still many who are routinely let down by the very institution they entrust their lives to. Black, Indigenous, and Brown women are among those most vulnerable to this systemic injustice, especially those who give birth. “Birthing the Truth” is a documentary series from Diana David that strives to address this inequality and neglect and educate its audience.
“BIPOC birthers are dying at astronomically higher rates than those of non-BIPOC communities,” the project’s Kickstarter campaign details. “The lack of information and resources being actively distributed to these communities must be addressed to reform and save the lives of BIPOC birthers before, during, and after their birthing experience.”
The project aims to “share information with the world that will contribute to a safer, healthier, and more informed birthing process for the BIPOC community.”
Learn more about “Birthing the Truth” and donate on Kickstarter.
To be considered for Women and Hollywood’s biweekly crowdfunding feature, please write to wandhcrowdfunding@gmail.com. All formats (features, shorts, web series, etc.) welcome. Projects must be by and/or about women.
