“No one ever sets out to do a 12-year passion project,” Branham says. “I thought it would be a compact story about a performer who came from a place where this was unheard of and was chasing it against all odds. I expected there to be more conflict in her life from her traditional family.”

But her family didn’t provide conflict. Instead, Bebe–born Nea Marshall Kudi Ngwa—found love. “Her family are amazing human beings that are well-traveled, well-educated, and very spiritual,” says Branham. ”It surprised me how supportive they were of the choices made. It turned out to be a great story.”