A documentary short by Luke Kellerhouse
❬ Winner — Audience Choice Award · Mountainfilm 2026 ❭
A fighter in the ring and in life — Julija Pajic's journey to Tanzania unexpectedly becomes one of healing and rediscovering her own strength.
The Story
After surviving childhood trauma and rising as a professional MMA fighter, Julija Pajic faces a crossroads when instability threatens her career.
She finds unexpected healing, connection and purpose among the street fighters and orphanages of Tanzania. A fighter in the ring and in life, Pajic finds what it means to feel strong and safe in her own body.
Festival Recognition
Audience Choice Award
Best Short Film
Mountainfilm 2026
Special Jury Mention
Charlie Fowler Best Adventure Film
Mountainfilm 2026
World premiere — May 2026, where festival audiences voted it the best short film of the year.
Trailer
Gallery
The People
Director
Luke Kellerhouse is a documentary filmmaker with a passion for storytelling rooted in exploration. Originally from San Diego, he studied film production at the Savannah College of Art and Design and earned a master's in documentary filmmaking at MetFilm School Berlin. His work spans the United States, Europe and Africa, including You're A Man, a documentary giving voice to male survivors of sexual abuse. He serves as festival producer for Mountainfilm. Off set, he's a rock climber and hiker.
Subject
“A fighter in the ring and in life.”
A professional MMA fighter who competed on the world stage, Julija Pajic carried the discipline of the cage and the weight of a difficult past to Tanzania — where, among street fighters and orphanage kids, she found something the sport had never given her: a way to feel strong and safe in her own body. The tiger inked across her throat is its own piece of the story.
Directed by Luke Kellerhouse · Featuring Julija Pajic · Full cast & crew credits available on request via the contact form.
Screenings
Telluride, Colorado · Winner, Audience Choice Award (Short)
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Press
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