Filmed over 20 years, this is the inspiring story of one woman and 50 children who built a family—and found their way back to love after unimaginable loss.
“My heart is cracked open… I am Changed.”
JEN PASTILOFF, AUTHOR
“A reminder of what humans are capable of”
ANISH GHIMIRE, KATHMANDU POST
“A beacon of inspiration for how this world can be made a better place.“
RICHARD ALANIZ, KPFK FILM CLUB
FILM TRAILER
Life changing. Everyone needs to see this - rebecca922
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An angel. A real life angel. Necessary viewing for every person. - EvanKlein111
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Made my mom cry - melonmalone66
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Maggie you're magical, The rare real beauty. - joshi
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love & hope is the only way. - cherrygirl21
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grab your tissues for this one - purnimaa
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With all the greed in the world this is truly positive bright light! So happy it exists and Maggie is leading a beautiful organization. - lilcoats
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Maybe the best documentary I have ever seen. - RedShoeBrian
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You gotta be doing some real good work to meet the Dalai Lama. Truly incredible doc. - rayray14000
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such a compelling story, so beautifully put together - findizzle
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Life changing. Everyone needs to see this - rebecca922 〰️ An angel. A real life angel. Necessary viewing for every person. - EvanKlein111 〰️ Made my mom cry - melonmalone66 〰️ Maggie you're magical, The rare real beauty. - joshi 〰️ love & hope is the only way. - cherrygirl21 〰️ grab your tissues for this one - purnimaa 〰️ With all the greed in the world this is truly positive bright light! So happy it exists and Maggie is leading a beautiful organization. - lilcoats 〰️ Maybe the best documentary I have ever seen. - RedShoeBrian 〰️ You gotta be doing some real good work to meet the Dalai Lama. Truly incredible doc. - rayray14000 〰️ such a compelling story, so beautifully put together - findizzle 〰️
MAGGIE DOYNE CNN HEROES
“Meta-romance”
INDIEWIRE
“Hopeful and heartbreaking”
YAHOO ENTERTAINMENT
“Breathtaking”
UK FILM AWARDS
30+ FESTIVALS AWARDS WORLDWIDE
INCLUDING
TELLURIDE MOUNTAINFILM FESTIVAL // AUDIENCE CHOICE & STUDENT CHOICE
NAPLES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL // JURY AWARD & AUDIENCE CHOICE
PORT TOWNSEND FILM FEST // AUDIENCE CHOICE
DUBLIN INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL // BEST DOCUMENTARY
PRAGUE FILM AWARDS // BEST DOCUMENTARY
SEDONA FILM FESTIVAL // AUDIENCE CHOICE
JAKARTA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL // BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY
CARMEL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL // BEST DOCUMENTARY
GORGE IMPACT FESTIVAL // BEST OVERALL IMPACT FILM
UK FILM AWARDS // BEST DOCUMENTARY
THE FILM
From the Duplass Brothers, Between the Mountain and the Sky follows CNN Hero Maggie Doyne and Top Malla over twenty years as they build a home that becomes a family to more than fifty orphaned children in Nepal. At the height of this journey, an unimaginable loss shatters everything, and the filmmaker steps from behind the camera—deepening the story into a meditation on grief, resilience, and the power of love to heal.
Through a mix of raw home videos and vérité footage captured through a lens of love, the film reaches a rare level of intimacy — resisting staged interviews, makeup, and talking heads to reveal something far more human. It offers an unfiltered look at compassion that runs deeper than headlines and heroism, revealing a raw portrait of motherhood, loss, and the quiet courage to keep going.
Honest, soul-baring, and deeply human, it reminds us that healing begins the moment we stop pretending we’re unbreakable.
