To feel like we belong is a fundamental human need. Yet today, our false sense of separateness from each other and the world around us has fueled a global epidemic of loneliness…
At the same time, craft offers a holistic experience often lacking in our digitally-dominated modern world. Working with one’s hands harmonizes the whole human - unifying intellect, heart and hand. When we reconnect to our wholeness, we remember our belonging to (or interdependence with) each other and the natural world. When we are rooted in this feeling of belonging, we are more able to contribute to creating a reality that serves the whole.
Topping the World’s Happiness Report for the 8th year in a row, it’s evident Finland, Finns and their cultural values and practices are worthy of deep exploration. A collective sense of trust and civic responsibility, a strong welfare system, connection to nature and heritage, and prioritizing well-being over productivity together create a sense of security and contentment for Finns.
Her Inherent Belonging is a character-driven non-fiction feature film exploring how craft as a practice connects humans to place, their ancestral past and the present moment. Set in the serene landscapes of Finland, the film subtly interweaves the stories of four craftswomen following their lives through the seasons from the quiet darkness of Finland’s long winters into the midnight sun of summer.
Thoughtful, cinematic, and rooted in character, Her Inherent Belonging offers us a meditative map to remembering that sense of belonging innate in all of us.
The film is currently in post-production with a projected release date of Fall 2026.
Download the complete Her Inherent Belonging Pitch Deck here for further information and sharing with others..
Help us get the film out into the world!
Grant funding from like-minded foundations provided the crucial support for the development and production of the film. We are now seeking finishing funds to take the film to completion. We are seeking to raise $90,000 for Post-Production. Thanks to our fiscal sponsorship with Filmmaker’s Collaborative, you can make a tax-deductible contribution (for U.S. taxpayers) to support in the many expenses to finish the film. We thank you for your consideration!
There are a number of ways to contribute to our project:
By using the button above
By mailing a check directly to the FC office ( with the project title written in the memo line):
Filmmakers Collaborative, Inc.
6 Eastman Place #202
Melrose, MA 02176By wire transfer directly in to our bank account ( contact helen@filmmakerscollab.org for more info)
You can donate directly from your donor advised fund. Please note that our tax ID is 22-2778829. You will need this to assure that the donation comes straight to Filmmakers Collaborative.
You can donate stock, bitcoin and most importantly, you can help spread the word by sharing these fantastic projects with your networks!
As of July 2025, we have completed production and have moved into Post-Production. We are seeking support for Post-Production and Outreach expenses including allowing Madison to produce and edit the films to completion as well as for the collaborations with Helsinki-based music composer Aino Juutilainen for an original music score and sound design and Zefferin Llamas for illustrations and animations for the film.
We are also looking for a sales agent, promotional and screening partners and open to collaboration on all fronts. If you are interested in supporting the post-production and circulation of Her Inherent Belonging, please contact Director Madison McClintock.
Hanna N. has single-handedly revived traditional Scandinavian tanning techniques. Mervi is a journalist turned self-taught expert in Finnish Iron Age Crafts. Hanna P. is a Finnish shoemaker dedicated to making shoes the old way and Heli is just beginning her journey as a professional craftsperson – venturing to the far reaches of the earth to work as a Viking Age craft specialist. Through each of their lives and practices, the film explores a different aspect of belonging: To Place, To Time (Past & Future), To Now (The Present Moment). The film weaves their subtly-connected stories together by underscoring themes of resiliency, heartfelt dedication and a commitment to living a life aligned with one’s integrity.
Hanna Nore, Master Traditional Tanner of Kemiönsaari, Finland
Mervi Pasanen, Expert in Finnish Iron Age Crafts, Lahti, Finland
Heli Karmakallio, Artisan of Ancient Techniques, Turku, Finland
Hanna Piipponen, Master Shoemaker, Tuupovaara, Finland
Madison McClintock
Director, Cinematographer & Editor
Madison McClintock is an independent filmmaker and textile artist based in Maine, U.S.A. Madison is drawn to the human stories behind our collective natural and cultural heritage. Through cinema, with its unique ability to reach hearts, she intends to create spaces for audiences to reconnect with the foundational truth that our well-being relies on an interdependent relationship with each other and the “more-than-human-world” If we are proximate with this truth, we are more likely to act on behalf of the whole. Madison has had the privilege to work on predominantly impact-driven filmmaking for her career. Most recently, since 2022 she has worked with National Geographic’s Pristine Seas in field production for stories in the Marshall Islands, Palau and Papua New Guinea - the final films directly supporting the creation of national Marine Protected Areas. She received her BFA in Environmental Studies & Studio Art from Franklin University Switzerland and her MFA in Science & Natural History Filmmaking from Montana State University. Madison’s short films Red Wolf Revival and Fungiphilia Rising have been broadcasted on television and featured at film festivals and in classrooms around the world.
Aino Juutilainen
Music Composer & Sound Designer
Aino Juutilainen is a cellist, composer and sound designer based in Helsinki, Finland. She is educated in classical music but her main focus is in composing and improvising as well as sound art. Her broad contact network includes both classical, jazz and pop musicians, choreographs, dancers, actors, theatre directors and puppet theatre artists. One of her dearest projects is her own group AINON that combines jazz, improvisation and classical music. In addition to that, is a member of Quartet Ajaton, Josu Mämmi trio, Vespera, Mikko Sarvanne Garden and Koi trio.
Zeferino llamas
Illustrator & Animator
Zeferino llamas is a Mexican-American storyteller, illustrator, and wildlife conservationist originally from San Diego, California. He has had the privilege of working in the fields of natural resources management and public health on both sides of the US/México border, experiences that have led him to use his work to foster Pan-American Unity (mutual cooperation and understanding between North, Central, and South America).
Fulbright Finland Magazine Cover and Article - Spring 2025
The Fulbright Finland Foundation facilitated the production of Her Inherent Belonging in Finland and I feel so grateful for them seeing the value of this project. Being seen is a source of energy and courage. I had a chance to write a reflective article about my time here in Finland for their biannual magazine.
Read the full article.
