On Holy Ground

This film, On Holy Ground, is unlike anything I’ve worked on before. It’s a deeply personal docudrama that centers on a life-changing experience of an 8-year-old girl, Jia, as she witnesses her grandmother, Iris, pass away from an incurable disease. The story is drawn from true events that led up to my mother’s passing from dementia, making this project one of the most intimate and emotionally charged films I’ve ever created.

In On Holy Ground, Iris knows her time is short. She sees the dysfunction within her family, fueled by internal conflicts, and makes it her mission to bring them back together before she dies. The story begins with an atmosphere thick with tension and bitterness, but as Iris's faith and commitment to prayer influence her family, we start to see subtle, yet profound changes take root.

Jia's Awakening: Embracing Life and Death Through a Miraculous Revelation

Jia, the young granddaughter, undergoes the most significant transformation. Through her grandmother's guidance, she learns to understand death as a natural part of life—something not to be feared, but accepted. The turning point for Jia, and indeed the entire narrative, comes when she witnesses something miraculous in Iris's bedroom, a moment that forever solidifies her spiritual beliefs.