Anatomy of Wings
aN UPCOMING FEATURE-LENGTH documentary 12 years in the making.
It is our dream that Anatomy of Wings inspires youth to embrace their innate talents to see, hear, and be heard through their skills and creative problem-solving. In addition to facilitating group discussions at film festivals, schools, university, and theatrical screenings, we also plan to publish a curriculum guide of insightful prompts, questions, and activities including reflections from the ten young women who came-of-age during our film’s ten-year production. It is our intention that our young women will use this curriculum guide as a tool for public speaking events.
A Film with a Lasting Impact
Finding Your Wings, our after school, began in 2007, with a group of girls chosen from the historic Dunbar Middle School in East Baltimore. The program's purpose was to give the girls access to an alternative lifestyle by introducing them to yoga, suggesting healthier eating habits and offering mentorship through retreats, sailing, etc. In 2008, the program's founder and her family moved to Chicago. Kirsten D'Andrea Hollander volunteered to continue the program and brought her videography skills to the group. Six girls decided to continue the program and together renamed the group Finding Our Wings, which we refer to as Wings.
Wings mentors created a safe space for the girls to practice filmmaking and share life experiences, questions and personal moments such as proms, first time gynecologist visits and accomplishments. Their lives in Baltimore reflected their corresponding community and, once in high school, the girls began inviting their best friends to join the program. The result: we became a group of 10.
What began as a videography program evolved into a powerful space of sharing for ten years, where ten girls, mentors, professors and college students at MICA created a family. All of us, hailing from various backgrounds and, literally, two different Baltimore’s, shared what we discovered in the powerful work of being present in our upcoming feature length film, Anatomy of Wings.
Anatomy of Wings is currently in its festival run. Our plan is to begin the assembling our curriculum this summer and to connect with an inspired group Executive Producers to support our impact goals in advocating for a theatrical release by spring 2022.
Anatomy of Wings is youth mentorship model teaching acceptance and authentic connection with inner city youth from middle school to high school. With over twelve years of experience in practicing self empowerment through seeing and hearing, our young women are being trained to teach the ‘Wings method’ of mentorship. Each donation supports our Anatomy of Wings cast’s direct goals for the children of Baltimore and beyond.
The action our film evokes is “how do we as mentors make space for our mentees to feel truly seen and heard” without judgment or expectation, just as they are.
Goal #1
school talks & other events
We're creating a lane for our Wings women to speak about their film across the world before our film’s 2020 release. Starting with schools and youth spaces in our own backyard, Baltimore.
Since 2016, Co-Directors, Kirsten and Nikiea presented clips of Anatomy of Wings to communities at UMBC, MICA, and community spaces in Chicago, New Jersey and across Maryland. In February 2019, our Wings women launched their “See & Hear Convos” with youth, teachers and mentors at Dunbar High School, Baltimore Montessori Charter School, The University of Baltimore, William Pinderhughes Elementary Middle School, Arundel Elementary Middle School, and the Waldorf School of Baltimore.
Goal #2
Mentorship CURRICULUM GUIDE
Wings Curriculum Guide for teachers & mentors.
The Anatomy of Wings curriculum guide, accompanying the film, is currently being compiled and will be pitched to publishers in early 2020. This guide is a collaboratively written tool by the mentors and mentees of the Anatomy of Wings film discussing the 7 years of after-school activities, discussions and best practices discovered through seeing and hearing each other in a accepting environment.
Partnerships and collaborations are welcome, email nikiea@anatomyofwings.com & kirsten@anatomyofwings.com.
Goal #3
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT TRAININGS
Youth Development Trainings will be lead by the Wings women of our collective post distribution.
Anatomy of Wings is a catalyst for deepening youth connection with mentors and teachers. Each young woman will have the opportunity to train youth focused spaces on the tactics & practices of the Wings program. This is a part of our inclusive entrepreneurship model for the Wings women to succeed beyond the film’s release. More information will be available after the film’s release.
Are you inspired to become a supporter of our film?
Anatomy of Wings has gratefully gained over 100 donors of various levels of support within the past 12 years of creating this powerful film. All donations are tax deductible. Every donor is included in our film’s credits and will be invited to celebrate with us at our 2020 release.
Co-Directors & Co-Producers, Kirsten D’Andrea Hollander & Nikiea Redmond