Film
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This 30-minute documentary follows the stories of those who come to this sacred place seeking solace, connection, and the strength to keep going. Among them is Erik, a father and farmhand at Selah who is rebuilding his life after the recent murder of his three young children: Joanna, Terry, and Sierra. Now, with his newborn daughter Josie in his arms and his partner Shiloe by his side, Erik walks the fragile path between joy and sorrow, between honoring the dead and loving the living.
At the heart of Selah’s vision is Dr. Joanne Cacciatore, who founded the carefarm after the death of her own daughter, Cheyenne, at birth. Guided by her compassionate philosophy, Selah offers no platitudes or quick fixes; simply a space where grief is witnessed, honored, and carried forward with care.
Woven through Erik’s story is a four-day grief workshop, where we follow six bereaved individuals as they navigate their own losses with the accompaniment of Selah’s team. Their journeys, alongside Erik’s and Dr. Jo’s, reveal the quiet courage it takes to keep living in the shadow of profound loss.
A Sacred Pause explores grief as a shared human experience, inviting people to slow down, feel deeply, and find connection, meaning, and gentle support within loss rather than trying to move past it.
Writer
Steven Hoover
Writer
Jonathan Bregel
Director
Jonathan Bregel
Producer
Ien Chi
Producer
Paige Demarco
Producer
Ryan Sanderson
Cinematographer
Steve Hoover
Post-Producer
Matt Riggieri
Colorist
Jonathan Bregel
Executive Producer
Danny Yourd
Executive Producer
Tyler Myers
Sound Mix and Design
Ryan Ormsby
Titles
A Sacred Pause
| A Sacred Pause | |
| Documentary Short Films, Educational / Informational Films | |
| grief, child loss, grief camp, grief retreat, carefarm, shared human experience | |
| 30 minutes | |
| United States | |
| 2025 | |
| English |
Synopsis:
Formerly entitled "Selah", A Sacred Pause was filmed entirely at Selah Carefarm, the world’s first carefarm for traumatic grief.This 30-minute documentary follows the stories of those who come to this sacred place seeking solace, connection, and the strength to keep going. Among them is Erik, a father and farmhand at Selah who is rebuilding his life after the recent murder of his three young children: Joanna, Terry, and Sierra. Now, with his newborn daughter Josie in his arms and his partner Shiloe by his side, Erik walks the fragile path between joy and sorrow, between honoring the dead and loving the living.
At the heart of Selah’s vision is Dr. Joanne Cacciatore, who founded the carefarm after the death of her own daughter, Cheyenne, at birth. Guided by her compassionate philosophy, Selah offers no platitudes or quick fixes; simply a space where grief is witnessed, honored, and carried forward with care.
Woven through Erik’s story is a four-day grief workshop, where we follow six bereaved individuals as they navigate their own losses with the accompaniment of Selah’s team. Their journeys, alongside Erik’s and Dr. Jo’s, reveal the quiet courage it takes to keep living in the shadow of profound loss.
A Sacred Pause explores grief as a shared human experience, inviting people to slow down, feel deeply, and find connection, meaning, and gentle support within loss rather than trying to move past it.
Credits:
Jonathan BregelWriter
Steven Hoover
Writer
Jonathan Bregel
Director
Jonathan Bregel
Producer
Ien Chi
Producer
Paige Demarco
Producer
Ryan Sanderson
Cinematographer
Steve Hoover
Post-Producer
Matt Riggieri
Colorist
Jonathan Bregel
Executive Producer
Danny Yourd
Executive Producer
Tyler Myers
Sound Mix and Design
Ryan Ormsby
Titles