Documentary · Heritage · Immersive
Your Family’s
Story, Told.
You tell us about an ancestor. Our team of professional storytellers — led by a Washington Post journalist — transforms your genealogy records into a cinematic documentary your family will watch for generations.
The Only Studio of Its Kind
We don’t make scrapbooks. We don’t print books. We make films — professional, cinematic, done entirely for you — about the people your family came from.
Done For YouProfessional Production TeamJournalism RootsImmersive XR ReadyUnder $500
The Process
Three Steps.
One Film.
Our optimized workflow takes your raw genealogy records and turns them into a finished documentary in weeks — not years.
Share Your Records
Place your order and complete our short intake form. Upload your genealogy documents, photos, census records, immigration papers — anything you have. Even a little goes a long way.
Secure document upload portal
Works with scans, PDFs, photos
15-minute intake form
We Do the Work
Our team of professional journalists, 3D artists, and filmmakers takes your documents and builds a cinematic narrative. We research, write, animate, and score your ancestor’s story.
3D historical environments
Professional narration & scoring
Journalistic research & fact-checking
Watch History Unfold
In 3–4 weeks, your Ancestory arrives — a private streaming link to share with family. Watch your grandfather’s immigration story, your grandmother’s resilience, your family’s legacy — together.
Private streaming link for family
Download for permanent keeping
The Ancestories
Watch Real
Ancestories
Every family has a story worth telling.
What Families Say
The Moment They
Hit Play
“My grandmother burst into tears. She said it was the first time she truly felt like her mother — who she never knew — was real. I can’t put a price on that.”
“I gave this as a gift to my parents for their 40th anniversary. My dad, who never cries, sat silent for two minutes after it ended. Then he said, ‘I never knew any of this.’ That’s everything.”
“We watched it at Christmas with three generations of family. The youngest ones — the kids who never cared about genealogy — were glued to the screen. That’s when I knew this was something different.”
Start Your Story
Choose Your
Ancestory
Every documentary is produced by our full team. No templates, no AI-generated content — a real film about a real person in your family.
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3 minute cinematic film
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One ancestor’s full story arc
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Original score + narration
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Private streaming + download link
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2 revision rounds
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8 minute cinematic film
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Up to 3 ancestors woven together
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3D historical environment scenes
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Original score + professional narration
Founder & Director
The Studio
Built by a former
Washington Post
Journalist
AncestoriesXR was founded by Retha Hill — a journalist who has worked for The Detroit Free Press, The Charlotte Observer, and The Washington Post. She was a founding editor of WashingtonPost.com and the founding content VP of BET.com.
Today she is a professor of immersive media at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism — and she built AncestoriesXR after a breakthrough in her own genealogy research made her realize every family deserved this.
Every Family Has
A Story Worth Seeing.
Don’t let your ancestor’s story live only in a folder of unread documents. Give your family something they’ll watch together for the rest of their lives.
Only 8 production slots available this season · Est. delivery: September 2026