Dolly's Hand on Mine
Chicago, Illinois | Film Short
Drama, Comedy
A new mother grappling with postpartum hallucinates a glamorous country music star visiting her in the bathroom. This film pairs maternal resonance with a dose of humor all the while juxtaposing the societal and cultural lens of women’s bodies and minds.
Dolly's Hand on Mine
Chicago, Illinois | Film Short
Drama, Comedy
1 Campaigns | Illinois, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $48,515 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
93 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
A new mother grappling with postpartum hallucinates a glamorous country music star visiting her in the bathroom. This film pairs maternal resonance with a dose of humor all the while juxtaposing the societal and cultural lens of women’s bodies and minds.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Prepare to be titillated. This short film illuminates the postpartum experience with a tender dose of humor and a smattering of rhinestones. In a time that is normally chaotic, private, and endured behind a bathroom door, this film will bring you into that bathroom and into the heart and mind of every woman who felt rocked by childbirth.
Wild fantasies help us deal with painful realities. What if a talented musical legend, known for embracing her bold style and sequin-covered confidence, helped a new mother find her own path forward? Crank your guitar because the guiding hand of women supporting women creates empowerment that flows into new generations like music notes. How do we get through life's toughest stuff, how do we keep going? We can do anything with DOLLY'S HAND ON MINE.
DOLLY'S HAND ON MINE is a darkly funny and deeply empathetic short film about the brutal, surreal, and sacred realities of early motherhood. Lucy, a new mother just three days postpartum, is overwhelmed by exhaustion, pain, and the relentless demands of caring for her newborn, Rebecca. Her once-vibrant sense of self—confident, glamorous, and alive—has vanished under the weight of breast pumps, sleepless nights, and physical agony. Even the simplest acts, like breastfeeding or walking, become comic trials of endurance.
When her well-meaning but clueless husband Thomas and an overbearing neighbor add to the chaos, Lucy faces her most dreaded postpartum milestone: her first bowel movement after childbirth. As she struggles in the bathroom, still cradling her nursing baby, she summons the spirit and strength of Dolly Parton—a symbol of resilience, femininity, and grace under pressure.
A surreal, transcendent fantasy of Dolly emerges as a rhinestoned hand reaches out to comfort Lucy as she endures the painful yet liberating act. This touch becomes a quiet blessing, a reminder of womanhood’s shared endurance and glamour, even in its messiest moments.
(note: though the filmmakers remain enormous fans, the real Dolly Parton does not appear in this film nor is she affiliated with the making of it)
With any film, there’s art between the reality of making the picture, and the creativity that it takes to bring those images to life. Often, we call it a budget!
As we strike the balance between realism and hallucinatory in this story, we’ve ascribed a budget that we believe is both fiscally responsible and creatively rewarding for the story we are trying to tell.
Approximately 49% of our budget total goes back to the salaries of our crew and cast. We’ve assembled some of the most inventive, diverse, and awarded independent film artists in Chicago today, all coming together to create magic for a two-day shoot. We believe in paying them a competitive wage for their craft, care, and time.
Another 25% of our money is for our expenses: the wardrobe, locations, hair/ makeup artists, and art needed to successfully put together this film. We’ve tag-teamed with local Chicago businesses to pull this off, bringing their localized strength in the community to pair with our leadership.
Every line item is scrutinized, discussed, and examined down to the penny by our leadership team. Together, we combine over 75 years of creative experience in film, advertising, writing and photography, and are excited to put together something we can’t wait to show you.
From Director Maggie Meiners:
“Motherhood is otherworldly. You feel quite alien-like at times, there are emotions that float around fully outside of your own body. But there are profound moments of postpartum- gratitude, retrospect, appreciation. And while we grapple with our ever changing bodies during pregnancy and post-partum, there are the mental challenges that go hand in hand: anxiety, hormonal depression, guilt and shame of not “being enough”
Through this narrative, I want breasts to be seen as the bullseye, as a way to drill down the way we value our bodies, the way society sexualizes our bodies, and the power those bodies hold. And I want to cover it all in rhinestones and kick up some dust.”
From Screenwriter Kelly Q. Anderson:
Kelly (she/her) is a writer and artist that loves making you feel unsettled. Her stories and photographs have appeared in The New York Times, Atticus Review, Litro, Stanchion Zine, and more. Her work has been adapted for film, installed as public art, anthologized, and even sold as art prints in vending machines. The short film THAT OLD BEAUTIFUL LOVE, was adapted from her flash fiction story, was directed by Meiners, and received eight film festival noms/ selections. She has written several short films and currently belongs to a regular screenwriting cohort under the guidance of Mary Ruth Clarke (original writer, MEET THE PARENTS).
From Cinematographer Isaac (Izzy) White:
ISAAC (Izzy) White is a Chicago-based, internationally recognized and award-winning director of photography, focused on intimate, grounded visuals. Their style blends environmental portraiture and documentary-like perspectives into tactile meditative frames that seek show the beauty of human experience often hidden in mundanity. With an experience across music-videos and narrative shorts, Izzy brings a respected, effective, and collaborative, hands-on presence to the set- helping directors translate their emotionally nuanced scenes into timeless lived-in imagery. Izzy’s visual storytelling came to life in our most recent film, That Old Beautiful Love, and our team is excited to work with them again. You can see their work here.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast Salaries
Costs $3,600
We believe in paying a living wage to everyone who participates in our production.
Crew Salaries
Costs $11,900
Our carefully selected crew will provide the best conditions for our actors and others on set to bring our story telling to life.
Location Expenses
Costs $6,000
This includes production design, insurance, permits, catering, parking and transportation.
Post-Production
Costs $17,000
Once the film is made we need to edit the footage, mix the sound, color correct, license the music, and compensate the experts who do that.
Cameras + Equipment
Costs $6,800
We need the equipment to take our story from the page to the screen. This includes cameras, lighting, sound and all other technical gear.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
DIRECTOR MAGGIE MEINERS:
Maggie (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist and film maker who explores feminine identity through disruption, provocation and humor.
Her work work is in the collections of the Illinois Institute of Art, Wheaton College, Harrison Street Lofts, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP and numerous private collections and has been exhibited across the United States and internationally at institutions including the Montclair Art Museum, the Butler Institute of American Art, and the American Embassy in Uruguay. Her insights and work have been featured in The New York Times, Art New England, CNN and the Huffington Post.
SCREENWRITER KELLY Q. ANDERSON:
Kelly (she/her) is a writer and artist that loves making you feel unsettled. Her stories and photographs have appeared in The New York Times, Atticus Review, Litro, Stanchion Zine, and more. Her stories have been adapted for film, installed as public art, anthologized, and even sold as art prints in vending machines. The short film, THAT OLD BEAUTIFUL LOVE, was adapted from her original flash fiction story of the same name, was directed by Maggie Meiners, and received eight film festival selections/noms. She has written several short films and currently screenwrites in a regular cohort under the guidance of Mary Ruth Clarke (original writer of MEET THE PARENTS).
CINEMATOGRAPHER ISAAC (IZZY) WHITE:
ISAAC (Izzy) White is a Chicago-based, internationally recognized and award-winning director of photography, focused on intimate, grounded visuals. Their style blends environmental portraiture and documentary-like perspectives into tactile meditative frames that seek show the beauty of human experience often hidden in mundanity. With an experience across music-videos and narrative shorts, Izzy brings a respected, effective, and collaborative, hands-on presence to the set- helping directors translate their emotionally nuanced scenes into timeless lived-in imagery. Izzy’s visual storytelling came to life in our most recent film, That Old Beautiful Love, and our team is excited to work with them again.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Prepare to be titillated. This short film illuminates the postpartum experience with a tender dose of humor and a smattering of rhinestones. In a time that is normally chaotic, private, and endured behind a bathroom door, this film will bring you into that bathroom and into the heart and mind of every woman who felt rocked by childbirth.
Wild fantasies help us deal with painful realities. What if a talented musical legend, known for embracing her bold style and sequin-covered confidence, helped a new mother find her own path forward? Crank your guitar because the guiding hand of women supporting women creates empowerment that flows into new generations like music notes. How do we get through life's toughest stuff, how do we keep going? We can do anything with DOLLY'S HAND ON MINE.
DOLLY'S HAND ON MINE is a darkly funny and deeply empathetic short film about the brutal, surreal, and sacred realities of early motherhood. Lucy, a new mother just three days postpartum, is overwhelmed by exhaustion, pain, and the relentless demands of caring for her newborn, Rebecca. Her once-vibrant sense of self—confident, glamorous, and alive—has vanished under the weight of breast pumps, sleepless nights, and physical agony. Even the simplest acts, like breastfeeding or walking, become comic trials of endurance.
When her well-meaning but clueless husband Thomas and an overbearing neighbor add to the chaos, Lucy faces her most dreaded postpartum milestone: her first bowel movement after childbirth. As she struggles in the bathroom, still cradling her nursing baby, she summons the spirit and strength of Dolly Parton—a symbol of resilience, femininity, and grace under pressure.
A surreal, transcendent fantasy of Dolly emerges as a rhinestoned hand reaches out to comfort Lucy as she endures the painful yet liberating act. This touch becomes a quiet blessing, a reminder of womanhood’s shared endurance and glamour, even in its messiest moments.
(note: though the filmmakers remain enormous fans, the real Dolly Parton does not appear in this film nor is she affiliated with the making of it)
With any film, there’s art between the reality of making the picture, and the creativity that it takes to bring those images to life. Often, we call it a budget!
As we strike the balance between realism and hallucinatory in this story, we’ve ascribed a budget that we believe is both fiscally responsible and creatively rewarding for the story we are trying to tell.
Approximately 49% of our budget total goes back to the salaries of our crew and cast. We’ve assembled some of the most inventive, diverse, and awarded independent film artists in Chicago today, all coming together to create magic for a two-day shoot. We believe in paying them a competitive wage for their craft, care, and time.
Another 25% of our money is for our expenses: the wardrobe, locations, hair/ makeup artists, and art needed to successfully put together this film. We’ve tag-teamed with local Chicago businesses to pull this off, bringing their localized strength in the community to pair with our leadership.
Every line item is scrutinized, discussed, and examined down to the penny by our leadership team. Together, we combine over 75 years of creative experience in film, advertising, writing and photography, and are excited to put together something we can’t wait to show you.
From Director Maggie Meiners:
“Motherhood is otherworldly. You feel quite alien-like at times, there are emotions that float around fully outside of your own body. But there are profound moments of postpartum- gratitude, retrospect, appreciation. And while we grapple with our ever changing bodies during pregnancy and post-partum, there are the mental challenges that go hand in hand: anxiety, hormonal depression, guilt and shame of not “being enough”
Through this narrative, I want breasts to be seen as the bullseye, as a way to drill down the way we value our bodies, the way society sexualizes our bodies, and the power those bodies hold. And I want to cover it all in rhinestones and kick up some dust.”
From Screenwriter Kelly Q. Anderson:
Kelly (she/her) is a writer and artist that loves making you feel unsettled. Her stories and photographs have appeared in The New York Times, Atticus Review, Litro, Stanchion Zine, and more. Her work has been adapted for film, installed as public art, anthologized, and even sold as art prints in vending machines. The short film THAT OLD BEAUTIFUL LOVE, was adapted from her flash fiction story, was directed by Meiners, and received eight film festival noms/ selections. She has written several short films and currently belongs to a regular screenwriting cohort under the guidance of Mary Ruth Clarke (original writer, MEET THE PARENTS).
From Cinematographer Isaac (Izzy) White:
ISAAC (Izzy) White is a Chicago-based, internationally recognized and award-winning director of photography, focused on intimate, grounded visuals. Their style blends environmental portraiture and documentary-like perspectives into tactile meditative frames that seek show the beauty of human experience often hidden in mundanity. With an experience across music-videos and narrative shorts, Izzy brings a respected, effective, and collaborative, hands-on presence to the set- helping directors translate their emotionally nuanced scenes into timeless lived-in imagery. Izzy’s visual storytelling came to life in our most recent film, That Old Beautiful Love, and our team is excited to work with them again. You can see their work here.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast Salaries
Costs $3,600
We believe in paying a living wage to everyone who participates in our production.
Crew Salaries
Costs $11,900
Our carefully selected crew will provide the best conditions for our actors and others on set to bring our story telling to life.
Location Expenses
Costs $6,000
This includes production design, insurance, permits, catering, parking and transportation.
Post-Production
Costs $17,000
Once the film is made we need to edit the footage, mix the sound, color correct, license the music, and compensate the experts who do that.
Cameras + Equipment
Costs $6,800
We need the equipment to take our story from the page to the screen. This includes cameras, lighting, sound and all other technical gear.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!