🌿 The Story So Far

Set in Costa Rica’s lush jungle, KEMA is a character-driven documentary following Kema Ward—a cancer survivor turned death doula—as she transforms loss into purpose through a deep connection with the natural world. Blending vérité with introspective interviews and a textured soundscape and visual language, the film explores grief, mortality, and rebirth. KEMA challenges Western fears of death, offering a radical, life-affirming reimagining of how connection to place reshapes our relationship to mortality in an increasingly disconnected world.

We’ve built a 40-minute version of this film, completely self-funded, and the response has been extraordinary. Viewers call it “transformative,” “sacred,” and “deeply healing.” With your help, we can bring the full story to life as a feature documentary, one that can reach hearts and screens around the world.

🌿 Why We Need Your Help

Right now, KEMA sits at a crossroads... just as Kema once did.

We have a powerful story. We have breathtaking footage. We have community engagement. We even have potential leads for distribution on a major streaming platform.

But here’s the reality:
In today’s documentary world, streamers only buy completed FEATURE-length films.

That means to bring KEMA to audiences everywhere, we need to expand it, and that takes more filming, more editing, and more post-production.

Expanding from a short to a feature-length documentary will let us:

Capture new chapters of Kema’s journey in Costa Rica and Houston
Weave in more voices and perspectives
Deepen the emotional and thematic threads
Bring the film to festivals, theaters, and eventually streaming platforms where it can reach millions

🌿 Why It Matters

KEMA isn’t just about one woman’s healing. Our film has 4 Impact Pillars that ground it in social justice:

A Pathway for Community Healing: In a world shaped by collective grief, chronic stress, and emotional exhaustion, KEMA opens space for rest, reflection, and reimagining how we live, and how we die.
Reclaiming Black Wellness, Joy, & Representation: A counter-narrative to trauma-centered depictions of Black women: KEMA centers agency, softness, and self-determined healing.
Stewarding Death Literacy & Ancestral Wisdom: Reframing death not as fear, but connection, lineage, and choice.
Empowering Spiritual & Ecological Reconnection: Nature as teacher, healer, and a universal language across cultures.

By helping KEMA grow into a feature, you’re not just funding a film, you’re fueling a movement that redefines what healing looks like.

🌿 Where Your Gift Goes

Every dollar goes directly toward completing the feature:

Production: Filming final scenes in Costa Rica and Houston
Post-production: Editing, color, sound mix, score, and accessibility features
Distribution: Festival submissions, marketing, and impact screenings
Community Impact: Partner screenings with grief, wellness, and BIPOC-led organizations

Your contribution is tax-deductible through our nonprofit fiscal sponsor Black Everywhere, and every gift, big or small, helps us bring KEMA to life.

🌿 Why Give Now

This is a rare moment to be a part of a film while it is being made.

By supporting this film, you are stepping into a circle of people committed to supporting independent filmmaking, reframing death, reconnecting to nature, establishing community healing, championing self-advocacy, AND celebrating Black womanhood.

If this story speaks to you, we invite you to step closer.

Supporter - $50+

You are planting a seed.

Your name listed on our digital Thank You Wall
Exclusive behind-the-scenes email updates as we complete the film
Early access to campaign announcements and milestones

Advocate - $100+

You are tending the soil. Everything in the Support tier, plus:

A copy of Where The Light Comes In, Kema Ward's memoir

Champion - $250+

You are helping this story bloom. Everything in the previous tiers, plus:

A copy of For My Beloved's, Kema Ward's Legacy Planning Journal
Digital download of our limited-edition movie poster

Visionary - $500+

You are shaping the future of this film. Everything above, plus:

Your name listed in the Special Thanks section of the film's end credits
Exclusive access to a private rough-cut screening before the film is publicly released
Private 15-minute group video call with Kema + the filmmakers

TRANSFORMATIONAL PARTNERSHIP LEVELS:

For those who feel called to help bring KEMA fully into the world, we invite you into a smaller circle.

These credits are honorary and come with no creative control or financial return, but they represent something powerful: legacy, partnership, and belief in the cultural impact of this work.

Associate Producer - $10,000+

Limited to 5 supporters

Associate Producer credit in the film's end titles + IMDb
Two VIP tickets to an official in-person screening (travel not included)
Personalized impact update following the film's release
Signed poster

Executive Producer - $35,000+

Limited to 3 supporters

Executive Producer credit with prominent placement in the film
Two VIP tickets to the official Premiere
Invitation to attend a festival screening as a guest of the team (travel not included)
One-hour strategy conversation about how the film can support your foundation, company, or mission

ALL DONATIONS ARE FULLY TAX-DEDUCTIBLE

🌿 Be Part of the Story

Donate today. Every dollar moves us closer to completion.
Share our campaign. Spread the word with friends, family, and your community.
Become a matching donor. Double the impact and inspire others to give.
Partner with us. Nonprofits, wellness groups, and community orgs can join our impact campaign.

We’ve brought KEMA this far on sheer love, grit, and belief.
Now, we’re inviting you to help us cross the finish line.

Together, let’s grow this into a feature-length documentary and bring its message of resilience, connection, and renewal to the world.

"Kema's journey has fundamentally changed how we see life and death, and helped us recognize ways we needed to heal that we didn't know we needed. We know it will do the same for you. Thank you sincerely for your support." - Sara Morsi & David Bouley, Directors of KEMA

-> Learn more at kemadoc.com

Questions? Ideas? Contact us anytime at hello@kemadoc.com

🌿 Help Us Turn KEMA Into a Feature Documentary