Caroline Golum stood in a backyard in Astoria, Queens, watching her lead actress don a hand-sewn medieval habit while a neighbor's air conditioning unit hummed just out of frame. This was not the English countryside. There were no studio lots, no period-accurate sets built by union carpenters, no location scouts securing access to actual 14th-century monasteries.

There was, however, a maxed-out credit card, a successful crowdfunding campaign, and an unwavering belief that the story of Julian of Norwich—a medieval mystic whose writings challenged the religious orthodoxy of her time—deserved to be told, budget constraints be damned.

Golum's journey to make "Revelations of Divine Love," a period drama about the 14th-century English anchoress, represents a growing trend in independent filmmaking: directors using personal finance, community support, and sheer resourcefulness to create ambitious historical films that would typically require millions in studio backing. As reported by the New York Times, Golum cobbled together funding through a crowdfunding platform and her own credit to bring the project to life, then began principal photography in the most unlikely of locations—the outer boroughs of New York City.

The Economics of Independent Period Films

The decision to self-finance a medieval period piece reflects both the opportunities and challenges facing independent filmmakers in 2026. While streaming platforms have created unprecedented demand for content, they've simultaneously made it harder for unconventional historical projects to secure traditional funding. Studios and streamers typically gravitate toward proven intellectual property or stories with built-in audiences—neither of which applies to a contemplative film about a 14th-century woman who lived in isolation and wrote theological texts.

"Nobody was going to write me a check to make a movie about Julian of Norwich," Golum acknowledged in her interview with the Times. So she turned to the tools available to modern creators: crowdfunding platforms that allow filmmakers to pitch directly to potential audiences, and personal credit that puts the financial risk squarely on the director's shoulders.

This approach has become increasingly common among independent filmmakers, particularly those telling stories outside the mainstream. According to industry data, crowdfunded film projects have raised over $500 million collectively in the past five years, though success rates vary dramatically. The model works best for directors with existing communities or compelling narratives that resonate with niche audiences—both of which Golum possessed.

Medieval England, Recreated in New York

Perhaps the most striking aspect of Golum's production is the location choice. Rather than seeking out period-appropriate locations in Europe or even rural America, she filmed entirely in Queens, transforming ordinary backyards, community spaces, and urban corners into 14th-century England through careful framing, costume design, and production design.

This decision was partly financial—international location shooting requires budgets that simply didn't exist for this project—but also creative. By filming locally, Golum could maintain complete control over the production, work with a tight-knit crew of collaborators, and avoid the logistical nightmares that plague period productions shot in remote locations.

The approach required ingenuity. Medieval architecture had to be suggested rather than shown. Costumes became the primary period signifiers, each piece hand-sewn or sourced from specialty costume houses. Lighting and cinematography focused on creating mood and atmosphere that evoked the era without requiring expensive set construction.

The Labor Behind Low-Budget Filmmaking

What often goes unspoken in stories about scrappy independent productions is the labor reality: someone is absorbing the costs that studios would typically distribute across budgets and insurance policies. In this case, that someone is Golum herself, along with a crew likely working for deferred payment or significantly reduced rates.

The independent film sector has long relied on workers willing to accept lower pay in exchange for creative freedom, experience, or the hope of future success. While this model has produced remarkable films, it also raises questions about sustainability. Can filmmakers continue to leverage personal debt and community goodwill to create art? What happens when the credit cards can't be paid off, or when crowdfunding campaigns fall short?

These aren't abstract concerns. Multiple independent filmmakers have spoken publicly about the financial toll of self-funded projects, including bankruptcy, damaged credit, and years spent recovering from debt incurred during production. The romantic narrative of the struggling artist often obscures the very real economic precarity involved.

A Story Worth Telling

Julian of Norwich herself lived during a period of tremendous upheaval—the Black Death had recently devastated England, social structures were fracturing, and religious certainty was giving way to questioning and reform. Her "Revelations of Divine Love," written after a series of visions during a near-fatal illness, presented a theology centered on God's love rather than judgment, a radical departure from the fire-and-brimstone preaching common in her era.

That Golum chose this particular subject suggests something about the stories that fall through the cracks of commercial filmmaking. Julian's writings have influenced theology and literature for centuries, yet remain relatively unknown outside academic circles. Her life as an anchoress—voluntarily enclosed in a small room attached to a church—offers both dramatic constraints and rich material for contemplative cinema.

The challenge for any filmmaker tackling such material is making it accessible without diluting its specificity. Period dramas about religious figures can easily tip into hagiography or, conversely, impose modern sensibilities onto historical subjects. The success of Golum's approach will ultimately depend on whether she can honor Julian's medieval context while finding the universal themes that make the story resonate with contemporary audiences.

What Comes Next

As of the Times report, Golum had begun filming, which means the project has crossed the crucial threshold from development into production. But significant challenges remain. Post-production for period films requires careful attention to detail in editing, sound design, and color correction—all of which cost money. Then comes the equally daunting task of distribution: finding audiences for a low-budget medieval drama in a marketplace dominated by franchise films and algorithm-driven streaming content.

Yet the very existence of projects like "Revelations of Divine Love" suggests that alternative pathways persist. Crowdfunding platforms, digital distribution, and film festival circuits have created routes to audiences that bypass traditional gatekeepers. Whether these routes are sustainable—economically, creatively, or personally—remains an open question.

For now, in backyards across Queens, a medieval world is taking shape one shot at a time, financed by belief, credit, and the conviction that some stories deserve to be told regardless of their commercial prospects. Whether that conviction proves justified will depend not just on Golum's vision, but on whether audiences ultimately find their way to a 14th-century mystic brought to life in 21st-century New York.