About Us

Our Story: Meet the Team

The death of Jonathon Ferrell birthed a very tight bond and close relationship between Carolyn Cochran and Caché Heidel and it all started with a Facebook message.

After the death of Trayvon Martin and Jonathon Ferrell, the nation was rocked with what felt like weekly viral videos of unarmed black men slain at the hands of police officers. Distracted by the recent events and racial shifts in America’s climate, Carolyn set aside the development and production of her documentary series to research police shootings and unarmed black men. She came across a story that stood out above the rest: Jon’s story.

Through her research, Carolyn came across a video of Caché sharing her long-term plans and American dreams with Jon that were prematurely terminated after losing her high-school sweetheart and best friend. It was after researching that Carolyn reached out to Caché for an interview.

In their very first meeting, Caché introduced Carolyn to the science of Unconscious Bias after having learned about the phenomenon in a training for work. Although still broken-hearted, Caché wanted something positive to come out of her loss. She wanted improvement in police officer screenings and trainings and a heightened awareness in America of hidden biases among all individuals. After the initial meeting, Caché agreed to tell her story as part of a documentary that Carolyn was working on, not knowing what was to come of it.

After many interviews, Caché’s story did not seem to fit within the current storyline of the initial documentary. It was too powerful and had to be its own project. In 2016, Carolyn put this project on hold and put all of her time, effort, and money into “Ghost Skin,” a documentary on the racial inequities woven throughout the fabric of America including the criminal justice, policing, and governmental systems, with an emphasis and attention to the media and powerful role it plays in racial stereotypes and misrepresentation. The media reinforces and strengthens biases by continuously projecting the same image of certain factions and influencing viewers who have no personal interaction with these specific groups in real life.

What started out as a simple Facebook message between two strangers, led to a phone call, a series of very intimate and emotional interviews, a growing and deepening friendship, a teaching tool, a new documentary, and a partnership between two women. Carolyn and Caché’s story is one of a concrete rose: out of a tragedy, a life-long friendship and initiative blossomed. They believe that their unique perspective on the world, provided by their interracial parents, will help bridge the gaps between opposing groups.