7 Current Movies About Motherhood As It Really Is

They say that life imitates art, but in this case it is art that imitates life. And for that to happen, it is necessary to talk about the happy and memorable moments and the most difficult and troubled moments. Thinking about these two sides of a woman’s life, a series of recent films have proposed to look at a specific moment in a different way: motherhood.

It is expected from this phase that the woman is a superhero, that she does not let herself be shaken by difficulties, that she loves unconditionally and that she becomes a jaguar to protect her children. There are many Marias Marruá, from “Pantanal”, out there, but it is not always like that. The proposal is to look at motherhood as it really is, full of ups and downs in relation to the children, the demands of the family and society and especially in relation to itself.

Discover some movies about mothers who chose or not to become pregnant and needed to deconstruct some generational myths about this figure to live contemporary motherhood according to their realities.

1. The Lost Daughter (2021)

Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, the film tells the story of Leda, a 50-year-old woman who goes on vacation after her daughters decide to move to Canada to live with their father. During the trip, she gets close to the young Nina, mother of little Elena. This brief coexistence brings up memories and feelings about the motherhood that Leda had buried within herself for a long time. The story deals with the ambivalences of motherhood, showing what it is like to live with feelings of love and hate for children, the need to put yourself first and be accountable to yourself for your choices. It speaks, mainly, of the stereotype of the mother that crosses generations and imposes standards of perfection. The film is available on Netflix.

2. Parallel Mothers (2021)

Janis and Ana’s lives intertwine when, pregnant, they share the same hospital room. Janis, a middle-aged woman, feels ready to live motherhood, while Ana, a teenager, is frightened by an unwanted pregnancy. The film brings motherhood from different perspectives and situations in a Spain haunted by its past of political persecution, which left women without their children, fathers and husbands. It is directed by Pedro Almodovar, known for masterfully exploring the world and layers of women. The production is also available on Netflix.

3. Solo Mother (2021)

With reports based on racial and social class, this documentary by Camila de Moraes is built from the speeches of Keisiane Santos, 24 years old, and Lúcia Batista, 63 years old, black single mothers from the outskirts of Salvador who found themselves without any support. family and partner to face the pregnancy. The production sheds light on the abandonment of women, the lack of assistance from the family and the State, as well as the total responsibility of women for raising children, showing the reality of how motherhood is treated in practice in Brazil. Unfortunately, the documentary is not on any streaming service at the moment.

4. Little Mom (2022)

With the death of her maternal grandmother, Nelly’s family returns to the matriarch’s house to dispose of her belongings. There, she meets Marion, a little girl identical to her who she befriends during this time at her grandmother’s house. In this film directed by Céline Sciamma, mother and daughter connect through childhood, knowing their secrets and their lives intimately, without any kind of authority between them. The production also deals with the mother and daughter relationship between generations, reflecting on how this coexistence interfered in the following relationships. Available on Amazon Prime Video.

5. There’s Only One Mother (2016)

How would you feel to find out you have two mothers? In the plot, Pierre, 17, is informed that his mother kidnapped him from his biological family as a baby. With the arrest, the young man starts living with this new family, but feels disconnected from this new reality that lives under conservative standards, especially in terms of gender and sexuality. The production of Brazilian Anna Muylaert focuses on the relationships between mothers and children, the concept of family, the conquest of affection and the acceptance of social and sexuality differences. The film is available on Netflix and Apple TV.

6. Olmo and the Seagull (2014)

Olivia is forced to take a break from her acting career due to a health issue that puts her pregnancy at risk. This situation causes Olivia to lose the role of the long-awaited protagonist while her husband stars in the lead role. Directed by Petra Costa and Lea Glob, the drama discusses the anguish of having to choose between professional life and motherhood and the changes in the body, which is her instrument of work and artistic expression. The film is available on Netflix.

7. Tully (2018)

Marlo is a mother of two expecting her third child. With the birth of the youngest, her life becomes even more burdened. Her brother Craig sends her a nanny to help her with the kids at night. The film is a dive into motherhood, its often exhausting routine and the difficulties faced by women who divide their time taking care of their children (one of them needs special care), with the house and as a wife. He also talks about the figure of the nanny (Tully) as the necessary support in this period and in the sisterhood between them. The direction is by Jason Reitman and can be seen by HBO Max.

If you are looking for more references in cinema thinking about female representation, be sure to check out this list of women at the 2022 Oscars and films about feminism.