Filmmaker Brit Hensel beautifully captures the essence of heartbreak and hopefulness in the short film Thin Places. Making its World Premiere at the 2025 ImagineNATIVE Film Festival, Thin Places explores the spiritual connection of two sisters as they navigate the liminal space between life and death.

Navigating the Liminal Space of this World and the Next

Birdie (Shelby Factor) struggles to accept the sudden passing of her sister Tama (Quannah Chasinghorse) and nephew Junior (Roman Romero). One moment, they are leaving for school drop off, and the next, they’re gone forever. Their memories linger, and Birdie grasps tightly onto the moments they shared, like dancing together in the living room. Despite these welcome flashbacks, she still longs for a tangible connection.

One afternoon, Birdie takes to an open field near her house and attempts to reconnect with the nature around her. In this meditative space, she begins to have a vision of her sister. Tama is dressed in all white, but not in the typical “angelic” sense. She is wearing a white tank top and ripped jeans, looking like any casual millennial. The two sisters use this sacred experience to reassure each other that they will always be there, in this life and the next.

Celebrating the Bond of Sisterhood

Thin Places is a delicate and intricately crafted drama celebrating the bond of sisterhood and the spiritual realm. Portraying Birdie and Tama, Shelby Factor and Quannah Chasinghorse do so with such empathy and heart. Thin Places is quite an accomplishment for Brit Hensel, who crafts a simple yet powerful statement on finding peace and comfort post-death.

Takeaway

Says Hensel, “I started writing the script for Thin Places about three years ago when I was moving through a loss of my own… I feel blessed to come from a community of people who view death differently than most. Our teachings allow me to believe that those we’ve lost are never far from us and there are ways we can connect to them despite a physical absence. For Kituwah people and many other Native communities, death is not the final stop. I’ve heard elders talk about places in our world where the veil between this life and the next is much closer, and I’ve found that to be true in my own experience.’