Power Within
Between Two Hands follows Brooklyn midwife Trinisha Williams as she cares for mothers and leads a bold campaign to open the city’s first nonprofit, midwife-led birth center.
Through the intersecting journeys of two mothers and a midwife determined to transform a broken system, the film traces how care is reclaimed—becoming both a sanctuary and a form of resistance within America’s Black maternal health crisis.
The Core
At its heart, Between Two Hands is about survival and imagination. It documents crisis, but also resistance through ordinary acts like swimming, gardening, or postpartum ritual that become extraordinary when performed against systemic erasure. It highlights how Black birth workers and birthing people are not simply enduring inequities; they are reshaping what care looks like in real time.
Meet the Midwife & Mothers
Trinisha Williams
“There are about six midwives of color giving care in the five boroughs of New York City.”
Trinisha Williams is a certified midwife with over 23 years of experience attending births across hospitals, homes, and birth centers. She is one of only a handful of midwives of color serving a city of more than eight million people. Trinisha is not only a caregiver but also an advocate, working to establish Brooklyn’s first nonprofit, midwife-led birth center.
The Midwife Holding the Line
Sharilyn Chavez
After a traumatic first birth at Woodhull Hospital, Sharilyn is preparing for a home birth that centers her consent, spirituality, and autonomy.
Rooted in ritual, faith, and the quiet work of rebuilding trust in her body, Sharilyn’s story sits at the edge of risk. Where choice exists, but remains fragile.
Refusing to be Silenced
Reclaiming a Lineage of CareMichelle Penny
Michelle is preparing for her second home birth, guided by movement, water, and ancestral wisdom.
Her decision is shaped by her family’s history of obstetric harm and by a deep belief that her body knows what to do.
Our Team
Ayanna Gill
Ayanna Gill is a Gracie Award–winning, Emmy-nominated producer and documentary director telling stories at the intersection of race, culture, and social justice.
Director
Paige Perez
Paige Perez is a Brooklyn-based producer and photographer of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent. Her storytelling uplifts underrepresented voices through intimate, intersectional narratives.
Producer
CinematographerDante Corbett
Dante Corbett is a Brooklyn-based cinematographer known for vérité work that captures intimacy and texture. His lens in Between Two Hands reveals birth and ritual with reverence, emphasizing visual empathy and trust.
EditorKarl Dawson
Karl Dawson is an acclaimed documentary editor whose feature credits include After Parkland (Tribeca), Man on the Run (Showtime), and Asylum. His work spans PBS, Disney+, and CNN.