GIDII Advocacy Announces New Feature Documentary

Call the Doula

In Pre-Production

We prepare for birth. Why don’t we prepare for end of life?

This is not a film about death. It is a film about love.

Pre-production has commenced on our next feature documentary, Call the Doula, a careful exploration of end-of-life accompaniment and the growing role of end-of-life doulas.

Across cultures and generations, dying was once held more visibly within families and communities — supported by ritual, continuity, and shared understanding. Today, many people encounter death and loss feeling unprepared and alone, often inside systems designed primarily for efficiency rather than human presence.

Call the Doula will follow families and end-of-life doulas as they navigate both expected and sudden loss, illuminating the often unseen work of accompaniment — before, during, and after death.

WHY THIS STORY — AND WHY NOW

Public conversation around death literacy and end-of-life care is slowly growing. Yet despite this increased attention, there remains limited documentary work examining the emerging field of end-of-life doulas and the relational, non-medical support they provide.

At the same time, many societies — including our own — continue to struggle to speak openly about death and grief.

As a result:

• preparation is often delayed

• conversations happen too late

• families can feel unsupported at critical moments

Call the Doula asks whether gently normalising end-of-life accompaniment may help communities respond with greater confidence, compassion, and care.

THE ROLE OF THE DOULA

Presence. Preparation. Support.

End-of-life doulas work alongside, not in place of medical and clinical teams. Their role is relational rather than clinical, supporting individuals and families through deeply personal transitions.

Their contribution often includes:

• Time — being present without the pressure of clinical schedules

• Continuity — steady support across the journey

• Emotional and cultural literacy — recognising the uniqueness of each death

• Steadiness — offering calm in moments of uncertainty

It is careful, skilled work that remains widely misunderstood.

WHY THIS FILM MATTERS

Most people move through life profoundly under-prepared for grief and loss.

Loss arrives not only through death, but through changes in health, the end of relationships, the loss of work, identity, or future plans. Yet these experiences are frequently misunderstood or medicalised rather than recognised as part of the human condition.

• When grief is unnamed, it becomes isolating.

• When it is misunderstood, it is medicalised.

• When it is unsupported, it can linger far longer than necessary.

Call the Doula explores whether greater grief literacy and better supported accompaniment might help families and systems respond more humanely at one of life’s most vulnerable thresholds.

WHO THIS FILM IS FOR

• Families facing end of life or sudden loss

• Health and care workers seeking more humane approaches

• People living with grief — recent or long-held

• Anyone who believes we need to talk about death before it arrives

You do not need to be in crisis to watch this film.You only need to be human.

PROJECT STATUS

Call the Doula is currently in pre-production.

Pre-production is intentionally careful and paced. Building trust with families and practitioners and ensuring strong foundations — takes time. It is anticipated at this stage and subject to funding, that filming will commence at the end of 2026. However, the nature of the project will determine the timeline.

A NOTE ON SUPPORT

Independent documentaries in sensitive spaces often rely on values-aligned support to progress responsibly.

As Call the Doula moves through early development, GIDII Advocacy is beginning quiet conversations with philanthropic partners, aligned organisations, and potential funders who understand the growing importance of death literacy and compassionate end-of-life support.

Discreet expressions of interest are welcome.

WITH CARE

This work is being developed with love.

GIDII Advocacy works to restore clarity to systems.

The Healing Lens works to restore dignity to the people inside them.

WOW Self Care School works to restore capacity to the people who keep our systems human.