COURAGE to feel our GRIEF, to SURRENDER to its DEPTHS

The one unifying and undeniable fact of life is that we will all experience loss - the death of loved ones, the end of relationships, the shattering of dreams. In a society that so often tells us to ‘stay positive’ and ‘move on’, it is easy to view grief as something shameful. But what if, instead of a weakness to be avoided or a burden to be carried, embracing grief is actually a sacred invitation to heal, to grow, and to transform?

When we have the courage to feel our grief, to surrender to its depths, something miraculous happens. We begin to heal. We reconnect with our own soul, with the love and support of those around us. We find meaning in our losses, discovering that our pain is fertile soil for new growth.

So let’s not be afraid of grief. It is a fierce and loving teacher, a guide to our deepest self. Embrace it, learn from it. As the Persian poet Rumi recommends, let it crack our hearts wide open. That’s how the light of love gets in. On the other side lies a life of greater meaning and connection.

Featuring Antoinette Pienaar (https://kruiekraaikoning.co.za)
Filmed in Theefontein, South Africa.

Filming - by Michael Raimondo
Editing - by Justine du Toit
Sound mix - by Tamryn Breakey

This film is part of a series collaboration between three independent filmmakers - Reflections of Life, Campfire Stories and Happen Films. These films explore how small acts of love and kindness have the potential to ripple out and change the world, touching hearts and minds in ways that we could never begin to imagine.

We'll be sharing a total of 12 short films, from across five continents - releasing one per month for the whole year of 2024 - four from each filmmaker.

Follow us on YouTube:
Reflections of Life -    / @reflectionsoflife  
Campfire Stories -    / @campfire-stories  
Happen Films -    / @happenfilms  

If you'd like to support us:
Reflections of Life -   / reflectionsoflife  
Campfire Stories - https://www.campfire-stories.org
Happen Films - https://happenfilms.com

The following music tracks are used in this film:
Numb3rs - by Jay Varton (via Audiio)
Vatnajokull - by Martin Landh (via Audiio)
Okaya - Textures - Instrumental Version (via Artlist)
Norðurljós (Northern Lights) - by The Spaces (via Audiio)
Four on Five - by Yehezkel Raz (via ArtList)
Tarab - by Lorenzo Travaglini (via Audiio)
Blossom Ends - by Abstract Aprils (via Audiio)

A huge thank you to these guys, who gave so generously of their to time to help with translations, enabling us to provide subtitles in the following languages:
Chinese (Traditional and Simplified) - by Shun-Ying Lu
Croatian - by Davor Bobanac
Czech - by Katarína Borek
Dutch - by Karla Greven
English - by Justine du Toit
French - by Amélie Macoin
German - by Tanja Pütz
Greek - by Vicky Polychroni
Indonesian - by Ary Nuansa
Italian - by Grazia Gironella
Korean - by Hotae Devin Noh
Polish - by Anna Konieczna
Portuguese - by Sibylle Steinpass and Lucivani Valvassori
Slovenian - by Tadej Pasar
Spanish - by Paty Aguirre
Swedish - by Mattias Olsson
Vietnamese - by Thi Le