Farm Road 88

A Story of Compassion on the Border

Holy Family Services is a birth clinic located on Farm Road 88 in Weslaco, Texas—just eleven miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. Founded by Sister Angela Murdaugh in the 1980s after learning that over 1,000 pregnant women in the surrounding county lacked prenatal care, the clinic has become a sanctuary for families who have few options and limited access to medical care. Each year, midwives and nurses from around the country donate their skills to serve a community where 80% of patients are undocumented immigrants and many live in poverty without health insurance.

A connection fostered through a friend who was a midwife at the clinic. I approached the clinic and pitched the idea of creating a mini-documentary to support the clinic's fundraising efforts and help them continue their vital work. I spent a week living alongside the clinic staff, learning their routines and earning their trust. The midwives, nurses, and patients generously opened their world to me—inviting me into their private homes and sharing stories that required profound vulnerability on their part. Building these connections quickly, with empathy and cultural sensitivity, became essential to capturing the truth of their experiences. Working closely with everyone involved, I was able to direct scenes that honored their dignity while documenting the reality of their circumstances, synthesizing individual experiences into a larger narrative about resilience, compassion, and healthcare as a human right.

The privilege of being welcomed into this community and trusted to tell their story authentically became the foundation of this film—one that celebrates strength and humanity rather than exploiting struggle. This project was created pro-bono as my contribution to amplifying the clinic's mission.

Role: Concept, Writing, Direction, Editing, Production

Credits:
Director, DP, Camera Op, Art Direction, Design, Script: Subodh Samudre
Second Cam/Assistant: Alexandra Sapp
Edit: Erin Turney & Subodh Samudre
Final Sound Mix & Color: Subodh Samudre + Bearfish Productions
Production Coordinator- Sunoz Sooroosh