Beyond the Data. Real lives.
A short film screening and fundraiser for Birthing the Magic Collaborative
“Beyond the Data. Real lives.” is a virtual evening centered on a powerful 15-minute short film, *Hatchlings*, that brings maternal health out of the headlines and into real life.
We will watch the film together, then join producer Jahmil Eady for a conversation that explores the lives behind the headlines, what the numbers miss, and what it will take to protect Black mothers and babies.
This event supports Birthing the Magic Collaborative’s work to deliver culturally grounded education and practical tools for Black birthing people, those who love them, and those who care for them.
❋ The Flow of the Evening
We will start by naming why this night matters, then we will press play and experience the film together, all in real time, as a community.
After the screening, award winning producer Jahmil Eady will join us for a behind the scenes conversation that brings the story to life. We will talk about what inspired the film, what it reveals that the data never can, and why maternal health cannot be reduced to numbers.
Then we will open a guided reflection that feels like exhale. A space to connect, learn, and leave better resourced, with a few practical takeaways and simple next steps that help keep mothers safe, supported, and heard.
❋ Our Why
Birthing the Magic Collaborative exists because too many Black birthing people are expected to navigate pregnancy and postpartum like a high stakes maze, with mixed messages, rushed visits, and real warning signs brushed off. When the right information shows up at the right moment, in plain language, from messengers people trust, outcomes change. That is what we build.
When you buy a ticket, you are not just donating. You are putting culturally grounded, science based guidance into someone’s hands when it matters most. You are helping us turn proven medical advice into short, mobile friendly micro lessons with clear next steps, then deliver them through the places people already go: community partners, doula networks, clinics, faith spaces, and our YouTube library.
When you support BTM, you help make birth more sacred, safe, and supported, without requiring our mamas to have connections, money, or insider knowledge. You help a pregnant viewer know what to watch for, what to do now, and where to go for care. You help a new parent access breastfeeding support, safe sleep guidance, and emotional wellness check ins that feel human, not clinical.
This is the why.
Because Black women deserve to be heard the first time. Because every baby deserves a strong start, and every family deserves a real chance to thrive.
Sixteen year old Reese (Demi Singleton) has recently moved in with her father, Len (Christian Robinson), his pregnant wife, Shayna (Angela Lewis), and her six year old half brother, Ty (Dominic Stephens). Resentful and feeling out of place, Reese plans to move back in with her biological mother. But when Shayna suddenly goes into labor, Reese is left to babysit Ty and retreats into her own world.
Ty, who is obsessed with turtles, escapes into a vivid fantasy where Reese becomes a tortoise and he becomes a sea turtle. When Reese’s own fantasies begin to crack, she realizes she and Ty share more than she expected. In the process, Reese discovers the meaning of family, and what it truly takes to step into the role of big sister, when it matters most.
Want a Sneek Peek?
Access the film trailer HERE
Director’s Statement
Hatchlings is an intimate, nature inspired short film rooted in the producer’s family story. After losing two cousins to childbirth complications linked to preeclampsia, she was moved to explore America’s maternal health crisis and how loss reshapes families, especially Black families. Sea turtles became the film’s central metaphor, reflecting a mother’s absence, children surviving against the odds, and the “lost years” of adolescence. Set in 2007 and told through magical realism, the film honors her cousins and adopted sister while offering a tender, healing story that is not trauma forward.
Excited to meet Jahmil?
Get Your Ticket HERE!
“When I saw this film, my heart was so full. It is beautifully made, tender, and powerful without ever feeling heavy handed. Hatchlings stays with you. It leaves you with an immense sense of love for family, a deeper respect for what mothers carry, and a renewed urgency to protect them.”
~ Marie