'A Healing Journey: Comanche Academy’ Documentarians Capture Community-Led Healing through Education with ZEISS CP.3 and CZ.2 lenses

ZEISS: How did this project come about? How did the team come together?

Kathryn: Linette and I first met while I was working on a PBS documentary with Road Trip Nation. We stopped by the Comanche Academy, and I interviewed her. We only had two hours together, but I immediately felt a deep connection. I knew there was so much happening at this school that couldn’t be captured in such a short amount of time. We kept talking, and the idea for a larger project grew from there.

Linette, what convinced you that this could be more than just a short visit — that it could become a full documentary?

Linette: That’s an easy but tough question to answer. Honestly at first, I wasn’t sold on the idea. I was so focused on being in the middle of it all — working with our youth and fellow Comanche educators — that I couldn’t step back and see what Kathryn was seeing. But there really is a magic in what we are doing every day at the Academy. It’s not just about teaching academics; it is about healing generations. Once I saw how the film could capture that, I knew it was important. It’s been two years working on this film and yet, even just watching the film recently I started crying remembering the magic that happens here daily.

What led you to the Academy in the first place?

Linette: I was not blessed to be raised in our culture. My grandfather was full Comanche, but he married a white woman. Growing up, my family leaned toward white culture because that was what was accepted at the time. Later in life, after teaching in California and Utah, I returned to Oklahoma after a life-changing event. A friend encouraged me to interview at the Academy. The moment I walked through the doors, I felt something different — a spiritual connection. Everything that I had learned in the past from my people, and other educators, I could now put in place and teach with a holistic approach. Every day here feels like an out-of-body experience.

The wellness room has been transformative. It’s a safe space of trust and vulnerability where children can process emotions, often for the first time. It’s a way to use our culture to help heal the intergenerational trauma that is still very real in this area. It's such a blessing here at the academy that we can combine that with teaching the state standards and academics. 

How did the team come together to make this film?

Kathryn: Transparency was important from the start. We wanted to be very intentional about the project’s goals. Linette and I had many conversations about who to involve and how to approach the community. I also spent extended time in Oklahoma — sometimes over a month — to truly be present and earn trust. Jhane is an incredible producer, with experience in Hollywood and her own deep ties to the Comanche Nation, which made the project even stronger.

Jhane: I grew up in Lawton, Oklahoma where this story takes place, and I’m on the Comanche roll. For me, giving back to the community has always been central to my filmmaking. When I heard about the Academy’s story, I knew I wanted to help. Kathryn brought such a strong visual eye, and I offered guidance in shaping the edit. I loved working with Kathryn. Not only does she have a good eye, she has a good ear. When we say things, she’s able to listen. Together, we created a film that the community could embrace — which is not always a given in Native communities. The fact that people saw themselves in it and felt proud was powerful.

When did you begin filming, and what was the process like?

Kathryn: We started in February 2024 with a very small crew — just myself and a sound person. That intimacy really helped us connect with the kids at the Academy and capture authentic moments. The children welcomed us immediately; every morning began with hugs. Some of the most meaningful footage came from simply being present, especially in the wellness room where so much healing happens.

What equipment did you use?

Kathryn: We shot on a Sony FX6 with ZEISS CP.3 lenses and a 70–200mm Cinema Zoom. The CP.3s were perfect — lightweight enough for handheld work but still fast enough for low-light situations. I loved the 18mm for landscapes, which we also used as chapter markers in the film. The longer focal lengths allowed me to step back during intimate moments without intruding. The way the lenses flared was beautiful and the lenses rendered natural light very well.

What look did you want for the film?

Kathryn: My background is in photojournalism, where you often don’t have control over the light. I’ve learned to worked with available light, to keep the images feeling intimate, raw, and real. I kept the camera close, inviting the viewer to feel as deeply as I was feeling. (I think I've cried more in the past year and a half just on this film than any other time in my life.)

The CP.3s allowed me to maintain intimacy even when I gave subjects physical space. Throughout it was important for me to establish trust before bringing a camera in people's faces. Linette did so much work, making sure everyone was informed of what was happening before we started. 

Did you plan out any of the major sequences in the documentary?

Kathryn: We planned the finale scene where all the children hold up photos of their elders who went to Fort Sill boarding school. That moment brought the history full circle. I know Mary Grace and Linette at the Academy did so much work in making that happen.

Linette: When we first set an agenda for that day, I gave Kathryn all these ideas, telling her, ‘Do what you will with it, but these are the key points.’ It was still just a blessing that those people showed up and opened up to us. It shows they believe in the school, they believe in the academy, in the vision, and in the kids. The school raised money to rent a 90-person bus to transport everyone. It was very much community led, with everyone helping the kids gather the pictures.

Kathryn: That was something that we envisioned beforehand as the film’s ending. But most of the moments in the film, especially in the wellness room, just happened naturally.

What other moments stand out that the film captured?

Linette: There are so many.

Kathryn: One unforgettable moment was a town hall we filmed with mothers from the community. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. One grandmother had just lost her son, but she came to share her story. She spoke so eloquently about the importance of the school and how if you can give these kids a good start in life, they're going to be okay. With the 70–200mm, I was able to react move between faces of the people present and capture those raw emotions respectfully. That scene is one of the most powerful in the film.

What was the biggest turning point for you in shaping the story?

Kathryn: It was recognizing who the people we wanted to feature were and what the biggest problem facing the school is. As the school grows, it will run out of rooms for the students. In fact, unless something changes, the wellness room will have to be turned into a classroom. The wellness room is so central to the Academy. Without it, the school’s ability to provide emotional support is at risk. That became the spine of the story — showing how critical this resource is for the children. Jhane also suggested structuring the film with a teepee-building sequence at the beginning and end, which created a beautiful narrative arc.

Jhane: That’s part of the creative process — sometimes an outside eye can help find the bookends. The teepee became a powerful symbol of resilience and continuity.

Linette: It's hard to explain, but every day that you're here, you have an out-of-body experience. When I bring students into the wellness room, we really connect with ourselves. It's a trusting, very vulnerable state. Sometimes we will have a child who seems like they have something they need to let go of. In the wellness room we will start with controlled breathing. I always give thanks to the four elements, and we connect with our elders come before us.

One little girl was a new transfer, and she looked at me and said, “I don't have any ancestors or elders that came before me.” She started crying and sobbing. We just sat there, letting her cry, and gave her tissues. Her peers came over and helped talk her through it. And ever since then, it was like she released something. Today, her teacher gave her a task to write a big long thank you note to whoever impacted her the most at the school. And she gave it to me. She said, “It was just because you were there, and you accepted me.”

I've worked in public schools before, and I've worked at Head Start, and you are just teaching–the connection just isn’t there like it is at the Academy.

How has the community responded to the finished film?

Kathryn: We held a screening in Lawton with about 600 attendees. Seeing community members watch themselves on the big screen was moving.

Linette: It was nerve-wracking at first. We didn’t know how people would respond. But the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Elders wept. Community members said, “This is needed.” Some even told us it should be shown to the Oklahoma Board of Education to rethink how history is taught. That impact has been incredible.

Kathryn: It’s acknowledging this piece of history that shouldn't be pushed under the rug. See these amazing people, part of the Comanche Nation, who are supporting these young kids and working to make sure that they have a better life.

What is the film’s call to action?

Linette: The school needs a permanent home. As a charter school, we receive a third less funding than public schools. We need facilities, transportation, and resources to meet the demand. The film is part of raising awareness — and hopefully inspiring donations and policy changes. This is about investing in the next generation. Legislators, philanthropists, and community leaders all have a role to play. We’ve been gifted land, but now we need the funding to make our vision real.

Learn more about the film and how to support the Comanche Academy:

Film Impact: www.comancheacademyfilm.com/impact 
School Foundation: www.turetiihaniaikufoundation.org/donate