HELLO TO JULIA was produced over a four month period, but in truth it was many years in the making. Since being introduced to Special Strides Therapeutic Riding Center in 2012, I have worked closely with the nonprofit organization to create a significant collection content.
          The more I experienced the incredible nature of Special Strides, the more I felt a powerful unnamable energy there. I was deeply moved by the exchanges between the therapists and parents. The spirit of the therapists, the families, and the environment of the farm itself was contagious even to an outside observer. I could feel the deep soulful healing that was taking place before my eyes, for both the children AND their families. Beyond the physical support was an energetic nurturing and sense of acceptance that seemed to further propel the already heartwarming transformations. Faced with chronic health challenges myself, I knew how imperative this was for healing and also how rare it was to find. I thought if only I could capture this essence in a film, it could subsequently support the viewers’ very own healing journeys.
          Making this film raised my spirits and propelled my own personal healing in ways I can hardly begin to describe. I came away with a bigger heart, an even deeper sense empathy, and greater appreciation of familial love. In pandemic times, it was a reprieve from the surrounding heaviness and a much needed restoration of hope. I hope that viewers come away with a refreshed inner smile and a renewed lightness that nourishes their hearts.