INTO AN OPEN SPACE
A STORY ABOUT HEALING
LOGLINE
Into an Open Space is an intimate feature documentary that follows the raw and personal journeys of everyday humans navigating pain and healing. We walk alongside them before, during, and after plant medicine ceremony, offering an unfiltered glimpse into what happens when we open ourselves up to the possibility of something more.
SYNOPSIS
We are living through unbearably painful times. Much of what we carry remains beneath the sur- face—unseen, unnamed, and often misunderstood. Anxiety, depression, and emotional numbness have become common features of modern life.
Into an Open Space is an inquiry into what becomes possible when we say yes to healing. This documentary follows the journeys of real peo- ple as they explore what healing looks like. Over several months, we walk alongside them before, during, and after their participation in a plant med- icine ceremony. We witness their fears, hopes, and the quiet, often nonlinear path of healing.
Their experiences are anchored by the question: What does healing look like for you?
We navigate the terrain of grief, anxiety, and dis- connection—not to fix, but to understand. The film meets each emotion with honor and respect, allow- ing it to arise and evolve naturally. Ceremony, in this context, refers to a sacred, in- tentional gathering where participants work with the sacrament of plant medicine in a safe, trau- ma-informed container led by a professional facil- itator. Rooted in ancient tradition, it invites deep introspection, emotional clarity, and connection to self, to others, and something greater. Compared to most clinical settings, this particular ceremonial setting is more immersive, prayerful, and inherently connected to the Earth.
Though vitally important, we don’t treat the ceremony as an end goal, but rather as a doorway.
An access point. What follows afterward in the slow unfolding of integration is equally, if not even more important. We believe that healing is a life- time devotion, and the ceremony is the first powerul and courageous step forward in that journey. Alongside the participants’ stories and woven throughout, the film features reflections from facil- itators, elders, and indigenous wisdom keepers. These voices offer deeper cultural, spiritual, and emotional perspectives, appearing throughout as steadying reflections within the journey while honoring the lineages and stewards of this path. The visual language is slow, alive, and textured.
We boldly step into the heart of the ceremony, not as a spectacle, but as an opportunity to understand more deeply.
To connect our hearts to the altar with respect and reverence. We don’t dramatize the pain. We don’t manufacture transformation. We let it breathe. We let it be messy, tender, silent, and sacred. Exactly as it is. Through the act of witnessing others heal, the viewer is invited inward to feel, reflect, and re- member. For some, especially those who are unable to participate in psychedelic ceremonies themselves, due to health, contraindications, or access, this act of witnessing can serve as a pow- erful form of connection and transformation. Into an Open Space is not just a film. It is an experience—an invitation to slow down, to listen deeply, and to remember what matters.
It is a prayer for healing.
TRAILER
For those quietly carrying pain, and wondering if there’s another way.
ABOUT THE FILM
Into an Open Space is a cinematic inquiry into what healing can look like—when it’s not polished, performative, or prescriptive, but messy, vulnerable, and real.
We are living through a mental health crisis that is often invisible: anxiety, grief, and disconnection have become part of the everyday human experience. Antidepressant use is rising, while many feel like the tools we’re offered just aren’t working. This film is a response to that ache.
Rather than offering solutions or advice, Into an Open Space follows people who are in the midst of it—people who have chosen to turn toward their pain, through plant medicine and ceremony, and who are learning what healing means to them.
Shot before, during, and after their experiences, the film bears witness to their unfolding—not as case studies, but as deeply human stories. Alongside them, we hear from elders, facilitators, skeptics, and visionaries who remind us that healing is not one path—it’s a many-threaded return to self.
This film is not about the medicine. It’s about the people. Their courage, their questions, their quiet strength. It’s for anyone who has ever wondered if there might be another way.
WHO THIS FILM IS FOR
Into an Open Space speaks to anyone who has ever felt quietly overwhelmed, emotionally stuck, or like something essential is missing—even if everything appears “fine” on the surface. It’s for the everyday human navigating anxiety, grief, or numbness without a clear roadmap. It’s for seekers and spiritual explorers, creatives and caregivers, therapists and facilitators—people doing the work, or longing to start. And it’s for documentary lovers drawn to raw, unpolished stories of transformation. At its core, this film is for those who have felt alone in their pain and are searching for a different way forward—not through diagnosis or quick fixes, but through presence, honesty, and a deep remembering of self.
WHERE WE’RE AT
We’ve created a proof-of-concept trailer that offers an early glimpse into the heart of the film—its tone, themes, and emotional focus. With initial development funding secured, the project is now entering its next phase: production.
We’re currently casting participants whose stories will form the core of the film and preparing for two shoots scheduled for July and September. These shoots will capture the beginning of each participant’s journey and lay the foundation for the full narrative arc.
We are now seeking additional production funding to move forward with these shoots and continue developing the film. All contributions during this phase will be matched by an existing donor, doubling the impact of any new support.
SUPPORT THE FILM
Funding raised at this stage will support:
Filming with our first participants
Capturing key moments of their journey
Beginning post-production later this year
To contribute or learn more, please reach out directly to:
intoanopenspace@gmail.com
