Totally Torie
A Documentary Film in Progress
Embedded Files
An intimate portrait of resilience unfolds as Torie Mugo redefines what purpose, movement, and faith through the act of running means, six years after losing all her limbs.
Help Bring Totally Torie to the Finish Line
After a sudden illness that left her in a coma with only a 2% chance of survival six years ago, Torie had every reason to give up, but she didn’t. With her faith, her community, and the love of her three-year-old son pushing her forward, she fought her way back to life. After a total amputation, Torie made a bold promise: she would one day run again.
Today, Torie trains alongside her son, turning personal tragedy into triumph and inspiring her family and community to join her in races. Her story is one of faith, resilience, and the power of never giving up, no matter the odds.
Your donation will help complete Totally Torie, covering post-production costs, so audiences everywhere can witness this extraordinary journey of courage and hope.
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Project Description
Totally Torie is an intimate, character-driven documentary that follows Torie, a quadruple amputee and mother who lost all her limbs in 2019 due to a sudden illness. Refusing to let her loss define her, she rediscovers her strength and purpose through running. The film centers around her preparation for her fourth half-marathon as an amputee in Denver CO, while living her day-to-day life, with her 10-year-old son and family by her side. Totally Torie reflects on resilience, faith, and the power of redefining purpose after a life-altering loss.
A passion project and filmed entirely and independently by the director, Caroline Josey Karoki, the project adopts a minimalist, observational approach that fosters intimacy and authenticity. This filmmaking style allows viewers to engage directly with Torie’s strength, vulnerability, and humanity. Through moments of routine, reflection, challenge, and triumph, Totally Torie invites audiences to see disability not as a limitation but as a catalyst for transformation and perseverance.
Ultimately, Torie's story is a testament to the power of resilience, faith, and community. It offers a rare, deeply personal perspective on disability and motherhood, inspiring audiences to reconsider what is possible when purpose meets determination.
OR Zelle to Caroline@tuskartscenter.org
Interested in becoming a corporate sponsor or co-production partner?
Email to learn more about collaboration and sponsorship levels.
In-kind service donations are welcome.
In-kind service donations are welcome.
**A shout out is optional.
All donations are tax-deductible.
Interested in becoming a corporate sponsor or co-production partner?
Email to learn more about collaboration and sponsorship levels.
Impact: Why This Film Matters
Totally Torie shines a powerful light on resilience, visibility, and humanity through Torie’s extraordinary journey. By portraying her not as a victim but as a vibrant, multidimensional woman, the film challenges prevailing stereotypes around disability and redefines narratives of strength, motherhood, and identity.
This project amplifies visibility for people with disabilities—particularly women and mothers of color—whose stories are often underrepresented in mainstream media. It invites audiences to expand their understanding of inclusion, perseverance, and faith, encouraging viewers to reflect on their own capacity for endurance and growth.
At its core, this is a story about transformation, faith, and the human ability to adapt. Through Torie’s story, audiences witness how purpose and community can guide a person through unimaginable change toward renewed strength and meaning.
Impact Goals:
The project team is committed to ensuring the film creates lasting impact across artistic, social, and community spaces. Upon completion, the film's impact goals include:
Festival Screenings: Be submitted to national and international documentary festivals, elevating diverse voices in nonfiction filmmaking and showcasing the creative potential of minimalist, independent storytelling.
Community Engagement: Collaborate with community organizations and faith-based and spiritual communities to host dialogue-centered screenings exploring purpose, healing, and perseverance through faith.
Disability and Inclusion: Partner with disability advocacy groups, adaptive sports programs, and rehabilitation centers to spark conversations about accessibility, representation, and self-determination. Screenings will be accompanied by Q&As and resource-sharing to connect audiences with inclusive initiatives.
Education and Empowerment: Engage empowerment networks, caregiving organizations, and schools to share Torie’s story as a source of inspiration for individuals and families to navigating life’s challenges.
Through these multi-platform partnerships, Totally Torie aims to foster empathy, representation, and empowerment, showing that resilience, faith, and community can redefine what is possible after profound loss. Thank you!
Funding Needs
This independent film is seeking finishing funds to complete post-production and prepare for distribution. These funds will ensure the project achieves the highest technical and artistic standards while maximizing its potential for audience impact. Specifically, funding will support:
Editing and color correction to finalize the visual narrative and achieve cinematic quality.
Sound design and mixing to enhance the emotional tone and storytelling clarity.
Music licensing or original composition to ensure a cohesive and resonant score.
Captioning and accessibility services to make the film available to all audiences.
Marketing, outreach, and promotional materials to position the film effectively for festivals, streaming platforms, and community screenings.
Completion funding will enable the film to move from post-production to premiere, ensuring this powerful story of resilience and renewal reaches and inspires audiences worldwide. Thank you for taking the time!
All donations are tax-deductible.
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