Synopsis

A meditative documentary exploring how artists process devastation and grief through their work. The film follows two creators in the wake of Hurricane Helene: Doug Carr, a visual artist and musician whose work transforms personal and environmental trauma into sound and image, and Sarah “Songbird” Burkey, a ballad singer drawing from her Cherokee and Appalachian roots to find resilience within nature.

Structured in two parts—The River and The Forest. Doug’s story flows with The River, ever-moving and unpredictable, symbolizing both destruction and the fluid nature of creation. Songbird is rooted in The Forest, embodying deep ancestral wisdom and connection to the land through song and spirituality. 

Though Doug and Songbird express themselves in vastly different ways, their journeys are deeply connected—two artists, shaped by the same storm, using their craft to navigate loss and resilience in a shared landscape.