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Clio Health Champions: Sarah Kambe Holland, Content Creation Lead, Film - 21GRAMS N.Y.
Sarah Kambe Holland is a film director based in Los Angeles. Outside of narrative films, Holland also directs commercial work for 21GRAMS. She is passionate about positive minority representation and exploring important issues through a comedic lens.
How do you bring creativity and innovation to your work?
Coming from an indie filmmaking background, I believe that limitations breed creativity. When you lack budget or resources, you’re forced to innovate, and that’s often where the magic happens. Directing healthcare marketing videos comes with its own set of constraints, from legal considerations to maintaining a consistent brand identity. I view these limitations as a creative challenge and strive to create work that is emotionally resonant and visually compelling within a healthcare context.
Tell us about a recent project you’re proud of.
“Friedreich’s Back,” a dark comedy series created for Biogen to support the launch of Skyclaris, the first treatment for Friedreich Ataxia. The campaign follows Nikolaus Friedreich, the scientist who discovered the neurodegenerative disorder in the 1800s, as he rises from the grave and begins wreaking all sorts of havoc in the modern world on his quest to learn more about Skyclaris. We had just three days to film nine episodes in multiple different shooting locations. I love that the series was perfectly tailored to its audience. Patients with Friedreich Ataxia often handle their diagnosis with wry humor. So, a mockumentary-style series about an undead German scientist seemed strangely fitting.
What are you most excited about right now in the health space?
How storytelling is evolving. I’ve carved out a niche directing a lot of pharma-comedy videos, a genre that is still largely unexplored. There’s a growing appetite for narratives that humanize medical conditions, that reflect the messiness that people bring to their real-life health journeys. I’m passionate about bringing a cinematic approach and emotional nuance to this space, especially when it comes to character-driven stories. I’m driven by the same goal across all my film and advertising projects—to tell stories that stick with people. I want the audience to feel something—laughter, bewilderment, recognition—and to remember it long after the credits roll.
What does it mean to you to be selected as a Clio Health Champion?
This recognition confirms that there is so much appreciation for ingenuity and creativity in healthcare marketing. It is a privilege to direct commercial films to raise awareness for rare health conditions and cutting-edge treatments that will change people’s lives.
