In 2017, Caroline Golum, a New York City-based critic, programmer, and filmmaker, became enchanted with the story of medieval author Julian of Norwich. Julian's tale began in 1373, in the East England town of Norwich, when she fell ill and was so close to death that she received the last rites. She survived, but was seriously changed by visions she'd had of Jesus Christ and God. She became an anchoress, willingly sealed in a cell in St. Julian's (no relation) for the rest of her life. There she wrote "Revelations of Divine Love," an account of her visions which stands as the earliest known book by a woman in the English language.
For Golum, 27 years old at the time, Julian's story was perfect material for a movie. But actually realizing a film version of "Revelations of Divine Love"—a medieval period piece about an obscure historical figure, with a limited budget—was a years-long process full of setbacks which, at times, seemed to reflect its story There were personal and social upheavals, a scarcity of resources, and even a plague. But like Julian, Golum persevered, ultimately mustering around $100,000 to make the feature.