The Northwind and The Sun - Fundraising Teaser 2026

Hi! We are a team of independent documentary filmmakers from Leipzig and Berlin, Marina Vinnik, David Simon Groß, Laura Espinel and Fyodor Stepanov. Over the past year we have been working on our short film The North Wind and the Sun. This film follows Ella Hanewald as she transforms her voice through gender affirming surgery. Voice is not just sound - it is identity, protection, a way of being seen and heard in the world. Our film is not about the medical procedure itself, but about the fragile, often invisible process of transition, the inner and outer search for a voice that feels like home. We have been accompanying Ella through these quiet and intimate shifts, between how she sees herself and how others hear her, between past and future. We have been working on this project since December 2024, in March 2025, Ella underwent voice surgery, and just a few weeks ago we filmed her again after the healing process was over. This is where we need your support. We have gathered the material, but we have reached a point where we can no longer proceed without additional resources. We want to give this story the care it deserves, through thoughtful editing, sensitive sound design, and the possibility to share it with audiences at festivals. Please support us and help us complete the postproduction of this amazing project!