A Magical Realism Documentary about brain injury, resilience, and the extraordinary journey of healing.

Every nine seconds, someone sustains a brain injury. Most will never receive proper care.

Fall of the Phoenix reveals what happens when the brain breaks—and what it takes to rise again.

🎬 Join us in bringing this powerful story to life.
Your contribution directly supports filming the final chapters, post-production, and our impact campaign.

All donations are tax-deductible through our fiscal sponsor, From the Heart Productions (501c3).

💡 WHY THIS FILM

Fall of the Phoenix pushes the boundaries of documentary, merging vérité storytelling with myth, dance, and visual portals that make the invisible visible.

Over five years of filming across Alaska, Colorado, and Texas, we’ve followed survivors navigating justice systems, healthcare inequities, and the long road to reconnection through art, community, and resilience.

This is not just a film — it’s a movement.
It’s about mental health, identity, and how we find our way back to ourselves.
It’s where science, spirit, and storytelling unite.

A MENTAL HEALTH DOCUMENTARY LIKE NEVER BEFORE

Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, Fall of the Phoenix invites you down the rabbit hole of the human mind.

What begins as filmmaker Lauren Lindberg’s search to understand her sister’s concussions spirals into something deeper — a personal reckoning with her own undiagnosed brain injuries and a national journey into a hidden epidemic.

Through cinematic vignettes, dance, and imagination, we move from icy Alaskan roads to high-school hallways, ethereal gardens, and a jail-turned-research site rewriting policy.

This isn’t just a film about brain injury — it’s an invitation into justice, dignity, and the magic within us all to rise from the ashes.

🎞 [WATCH THE TEASER→]

🌎 THE HIDDEN EPIDEMIC

Every 9 seconds, someone in the U.S. sustains a brain injury.
More than half go undiagnosed.

For women, Indigenous communities, and incarcerated individuals, the risks — and the silence — are even greater.

But this story doesn’t stop at crisis; it reimagines what’s possible:

• Expanding trauma-informed neuro-care in prisons, shelters, and underserved communities

• Introducing holistic, community-rooted healing grounded in ecology, culture, and creativity

• Empowering survivors to lead change as advocates, artists, and leaders

At its core, Fall of the Phoenix is a mythic modern journey of transformation — of breaking down, breaking through, and rising again.

🎥 WHO'S IN THE FILM

Dr. Grove – Alaska’s Brain Advocate
A TBI survivor turned specialist creating a Brain Bus to deliver care to Alaska’s most remote communities.

Alex & Mary – A Mother’s Fight for Justice
A Yup’ik mother and daughter confronting ten years of misdiagnosis and systemic failure through dance and cultural resilience.

Markell Taylor – From Incarceration to Activism
Diagnosed with a TBI while incarcerated, Markell now partners with neuroscientists like Dr. Kim Gorgens to bring brain-injury testing into prisons and redefine rehabilitation.

Dr. Kim Gorgens – The Wonder-Woman of Brain Science
Neuropsychologist and national leader reshaping public understanding and legislation through her research and TED Talk (3M+ views).

Ivette Ruiz – Healing Through Nature
After a disaster-related brain injury, Ivette founded Healing by Growing, connecting survivors with rehabilitative gardens and the restorative power of Earth.

Lauren Lindberg – The Filmmaker’s Descent and Rise
Her own invisible injuries opened the doorway to this mythic quest—connecting the personal, the collective, and the planetary.

💫 JOIN THE MOVEMENT

Fall of the Phoenix is more than a film — it’s a call to reimagine how we heal.

We’re building:

• A platform for survivors to share stories and reclaim their narratives

• Imaginative tools for awareness and recovery

• Workshops and screenings in jails, hospitals, schools, and communities

• Collaborations with justice- and health-driven organizations worldwide

Be part of the change.
Together, we can bring awareness, empathy, and light to what’s been hidden.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

“If it wasn’t for this film, I never would’ve realized I had brain injuries silently shaping my life. Awareness brought healing. And healing changed everything.”
— Lauren Lindberg

Lauren Lindberg is an award-winning director and producer whose work merges visual beauty with deep emotional truth. Her films (Independence in Sight, Echoes of Exxon, We Are The Land) have won accolades such as best documentary and audience favorite at San Francisco International, Frameline, Santa Fe, and Toronto. A Jefferson Award honoree and ASC Heritage Award winner, she’s led creative for national docuseries (Hard Reset, Your Brain on Money), brand campaigns, and justice-driven storytelling across the U.S.

DONATE
Help us bring this film—and its movement—to the world.
All donations are tax-deductible and directly fund production, post-production, and impact initiatives.