Burn A Light Productions Feature Documentary: Unrooted Bloom

TYPE: FEATURE DOCUMENTARY

GOAL: SOCIAL AWARENESS

DURATION: 5 Years

About

The Unrooted Bloom follows poet and filmmaker, Amber Allen-Peirson, as she confronts a lifelong search for belonging in the wake of her activist father’s death and her son’s struggle with addiction. Her journey takes her to a Louisiana plantation where an ancestor was born enslaved, into the complicated history of her white maternal family in Utah, and ultimately to the shores of Ghana.

Through intimate documentary storytelling and poetry, Amber examines the histories, relationships, and inherited stories that have shaped her understanding of race, family, motherhood, and home - and begins to reckon with what it means to define belonging for herself.

What begins as an intimate exploration of identity and belonging evolves into a deeply personal journey across generations, confronting the painful legacy of slavery, racial division, and family history.

PRODUCTION

The film was shot over five years across the United States and Ghana, following Amber Allen-Peerson from her home in Mill Valley, California, to Louisiana, Utah, and West Africa as she traced both sides of her family history. The objective of the film was to explore race and identity through a personal lens. Many films on these subjects center on political debate and rarely bring audiences close to the individuals living with this history.

The Unrooted Bloom stays true to Burn A Light's mission of building bridges between divided communities. The film focuses on one woman’s journey through inherited trauma and belonging, and builds a connection between her and its viewers.

POST-PRODUCTION

Post-production for this project was completed entirely in-house at Burn A Light Productions, in San Francisco, over a two-year period.

We brought together a talented team of creative professionals who dedicated their time, passion, and expertise to bringing this deeply personal and powerful story to life.

MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION

The Unrooted Bloom celebrated its West and East Coast premieres in October 2026 at the prestigious Mill Valley Film Festival in California and Urbanworld Film Festival in New York.

The film received an overwhelming response from audiences. Building on the momentum of these premieres, we are taking the film on the road to additional film festivals, educational institutions, and community screenings across the country.

To follow the film's journey and stay updated on upcoming screenings, visit www.theunrootedbloom.com.

Website of The Unrooted Bloom, a feature-length documentary about a woman's lifelong search for belonging.

AWARDS & IMPACT

The film earned the New York Women in Film & Television Award for Excellence in Directing and was the Runner-Up for Best Feature Documentary at Urbanworld Film Festival.

The film has also been featured in news media including San Francisco Chronicle, KTVU FOX 2, Marin Independent Journal, and The Mercury News.