Unpacking Grief

From the director, Amelia Hanibelsz:

Unpacking Grief is directly rooted in my personal experience; it is my story. And like grief itself, that story holds both heartbreak and humor.

My mother was a keeper of things. Her home overflowed with objects that carried the weight of the past. What once was chaos, a house that I thought would break me, has now become part of my path back to healing. When my father was alive, our family home was immaculate. After his passing twenty-six years ago, my mother created a burrow of memories to protect herself from her own grief. Many people begin hoarding after a major loss such as a death, divorce, illness, or trauma. Possessions become extensions of love and identity, a way to preserve connection when everything else feels lost. In my mother’s case, I believe keeping things was her way of holding on at first, and over time it simply grew out of control.

Unpacking the boxes is how I am learning to finally let go. Each one reveals something new, a mixture of pain and wonder in the form of photographs, letters, clothing, Super 8 reels, and decades-old audio cassette tapes. And woven through this emotional archaeology is a surprising thread of humor, found in the quirks of what my mother saved and the tender absurdities that arise when confronting a lifetime of what she left behind. My mother and I always found ways to laugh together, even in the darkest seasons, and that spirit continues to guide me.

Unpacking Grief: One Box at a Time explores grief as a universal condition, messy, uncurated, and often hidden away. It reminds us that alongside sorrow, there can be tenderness, surprise, and even laughter, and that shared stories and the act of remembering can help us carry what feels too heavy to hold alone. Your support will help ensure this story reaches people navigating their own losses, fosters connection, and opens space for conversations we rarely allow ourselves to have.