Through the Eyes of a Death Doula is a character-driven feature-length documentary that explores the profound connection between a death doula and an individual in their end-of-life journey. It will delve into the complexities surrounding death and dying in the United States by focusing on the holistic approach provided by end-of-life doulas.

The story will follow and focus on the unique perspectives of three end-of-life doulas: Elizabeth Johnson, Erin Collins, and Kari Sims Anthon. They created The Peaceful Presence Project, a non-profit organization located in Bend, Oregon that aids, educates, and advocates for individuals going through end-of-life care as well as their families. Through interviews, we would ask them questions about their journeys as women, death doulas, and advocates in the death and dying community. These interviews would help define the appropriate terminology used in this space as well as explore the challenges and rewards of being a death doula. We are partnering with The Peaceful Presence Project for this exciting venture.

In addition to the interviews with the Peaceful Presence Project, we also aim to interview vital members of the death and dying community including Professor Allan Kellehear, creator of the Compassionate Community Model of Care, a model widely used by doulas and non-profit organizations; as well as NEDA, the National End-of-Life Alliance, a nonprofit organization who strives to bring about positive changes in how people experience end-of-life care. All of these various perspectives will further help the credibility of this project as well as create a nuanced and broader understanding of the topic.

However, the other key point of view we will highlight is that of an individual in their end-of-life journey. Without this particular point of view, our film would be incomplete and only scratch this topic’s surface. Through interviews with this individual and their family, we will capture footage of their home and social life this would further honor their decision and help the viewer empathize with this person. Although obtaining this unique and challenging point of view might be difficult and time-sensitive, it is crucial to the film's outcome and messaging.

At its core, this film will serve as a living funeral and legacy to the deceased and the living.

We may not find any true answers in the end, but we will undoubtedly have a larger understanding of death. 

Death is a universal topic that affects every individual uniquely and intimately. We have all experienced the loss of someone.

Preparing for death is something that we should feel comfortable talking about, but it is often considered morbid, and yet it is part of life.

By highlighting this intimate relationship between a death doula and a person in the process of dying, Through the Eyes of a Death Doula aims to legitimize end-of-life care by emphasizing the key role of a death doula in American society.

Through this documentary, we seek to define the appropriate terminology surrounding death and dying as well as explore and understand the challenges and rewards of being an end-of-life doula.

We will delve into the complexities surrounding the topics of death and dying by looking at this unique perspective of end-of-life doulas who provide a holistic approach for both the dying and their loved ones.

With this documentary, we strive to normalize this taboo topic by encouraging meaningful conversations around the topic of death and dying, and most importantly, how to prepare for it.

By showcasing individuals who are terminally ill and are choosing to end their lives through the aid of death doulas, this documentary empowers individuals of all ages to have agency in their right to make informed choices over their end-of-life journeys.

This documentary ultimately advocates for one's choice in how to live and die.

At its core, this is a story about creating positive social change, and films like Blackfish which had a resounding impact on society and inspired a wave of people to campaign against SeaWorld, or The Thin Blue Line, which helped free an innocent man from prison became a landmark film in documentary filmmaking, are two films that specifically inspire me when making "Through the Eyes Of A Death Doula".

This documentary "Through the Eyes of a Death Doula" seeks to spark meaningful conversations surrounding our key themes of death and dying by looking at it through the scope of compassion, hope, and empathy to create a positive and productive outlook on a sensitive subject.

With this documentary, we aim to create meaningful change by raising awareness, fostering empathy, and empowering individuals to take control of their end-of-life journey. We want the audience to understand the importance of access to end-of-life care. By amplifying the voices of individuals who are terminally ill and choosing to end their lives through the aid of death doulas, we are validating and empowering individuals to make their own informed choices about how they want to live and pass on.

Ultimately, we have a passion for bringing to life stories that have the power to impact and educate our society.

Most importantly, we do not want to impose our personal opinions on the audience but rather open up people’s perceptions on the topic of death and dying.

The topic of death has always fascinated me since childhood but when a close friend of mine brought the topic of death doulas to me, I realized that there were many different ways of dying, each with its own complexities and nuances that I was oblivious to. My own ignorance, as well as society's, which often stigmatizes these conversations around death and the various methods of dying, made it extremely difficult to talk about death openly and honestly, thus turning it into a taboo topic. 

Understanding one’s mortality on this earth is a topic that I believe deserves more attention, which is why I'm particularly drawn to stories about individuals facing terminal illnesses and the compassionate helpers who support them in making difficult decisions. I know that making this documentary will challenge my own preconceptions around death and dying, and make me confront questions that will potentially change or shift my own experiences surrounding this topic.

Death is never easy for those left behind; it is a particularly sensitive and challenging topic to portray accurately in films. However, de-stigmatizing conversations around death and dying can help us deal with grief when the time comes. 

This is a pie chart of what our budget breakdown would look like with the absolute minimum goal. We hope to be able to raise more than what is shown above, however, this is the realistic cost of one week of production in Bend, Oregon.

STRETCH GOALS

$8000 is our absolute minimum goal, we can fund an initial week-long trip up to Bend, Oregon for essential crew members to immerse ourselves in the community, grow our connections with The Peaceful Presence Project in person, as well as shoot a 10-15 min video including B-roll and interview.

If we raise $10,000, we can pay the essential crew members (Director, Producer, and Director of Photography) an equal and fair rate as well as stay for ten days to pursue various connections in the community and expand our content!

If we raise $12,000, on top of paying our essential crew (Director, Producer, and Director of Photography) and staying two weeks in Oregon, we will be able to pay an editor to edit our footage to a 10-15-minute piece.



If we raise $14,000, we will be able to cover film festival submissions ensuring we can reach the largest audience possible!