Stories of Survival: Black Butterflies

She thought she was free.

I thought I was free, too.

But in America, for Black women,

Freedom is fragile.

I’m Starling Thomas, a filmmaker, storyteller, and survivor of the federal criminal legal system. My documentary Black Butterflies follows my journey — and the journeys of three other Black women — as we pull back the curtain on how the federal system targets and manipulates us into convictions.

This is a story about survival. About fighting for your life and your name. About being caged and still daring to dream.

Why This Film Matters

Black women are often erased from conversations about mass incarceration. We are the mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends impacted by conspiracy laws, prosecutorial misconduct, and a system designed to break us.

With Black Butterflies, we’re telling the whole truth, not the story the system likes to tell. Through intimate interviews, vérité moments, reenactments, and poetry that carries our voices into the world.

What We’ve Done So Far

Thanks to over 100 amazing backers on Seed&Spark, we’ve:

Begun filming in multiple cities

Captured powerful interviews with the women at the heart of this story

Started our reenactments to bring these moments to life

Why We Still Need Your Help

Film production is expensive. Your support will help cover:

Travel + lodging for upcoming shoots

Crew + equipment to capture the highest quality footage

Post-production editing, sound, and color

Outreach + festival submissions to bring this film to audiences who need it most

Every dollar takes us one step closer to making sure these voices are heard around the world.

How You Can Be Part of This Movement

Donate — Whether it’s $10 or $1,000, every contribution matters.

Share — Tell your friends, family, and networks. Post about it. Email it. Shout it from the rooftops.

Follow Our Journey — We’ll share behind-the-scenes updates, sneak peeks, and stories from the women whose lives you’re changing.

This film belongs to all of us.

It’s for every woman who’s been silenced by the system, every family torn apart, and every community fighting for justice.

Let’s give these women their wings.

Watch the 10-minute work sample HERE .