SXSW Quick Catch Up Reviews: Motherland
The natural order of things doesn’t always work out and sometimes a mother is left to grieve for her child. In Motherland, a new documentary by Jennifer Steinman, we meet six women from across U.S.A. who lost their children in various ways over a matter of about two years. As one is a close friend, Steinman theorizes that the notion of helping others really does help your own suffering so she organizes a trip to South Africa where everyone has been stricken by loss due to the rampant spread of AIDS and other diseases.
The six women travel to rural South Africa on a 17-day pilgrimage where they volunteer with local schools. The documentary is as much about grief, volunteerism and courage as it is about the six characters.
Debbi, a paramedic, lost her son to a drunk driver. The trip for her is a way to connect with others who may understand her grief. Mary Helena, an African-American actress, suffered a stroke right after her son Aaron was killed in a homicide. Whether intended or not, the audience will suffer the most in watching Mary Helena’s pain. Anne, lost her child Grace to suicide. Her strength in communicating the pain of such a tragedy is heroic. Kelly works in the hospital emergency room. She lost her son to a motorcycle accident. Barbara is heading towards a divorce, a common occurrence after the loss of a child. Her son Jason died in a head-on collision.
Lauren, a 22-year old student, travels with them to represent her mother who was unable to attend. Her brother Teveston was caught in the cross-fire of a gang who retaliated when he refused to join.
The trip to the motherland for these six mothers is edited in between the personal stories back home with each as they tell us about the loss of their child. For one, the trip is an impossibility so she sends her daughter to represent.
The women come from different areas across the country but also different viewpoints in their grief. As they begin their volunteer work with children at schools in South Africa they begin to bond but also experience a freedom and joy – a sense of community in shared grief that they hadn’t found.
And the story moves you in unexpected ways. One mother struggles with opening up to the others and your heart goes out to her. But the most important aspect of the documentary is the way it shows our common grief, the way everyone suffers loss and how that pain can be a bridge between countries or even between neighbors.
Motherland won the Emerging Visions Audience award at South by Southwest Film Festival. The movie plays next at the Atlanta Film Festival and will make its way to Oxford this summer as part of the Monday Movie series.
Jennifer Steinman, Co-Founder of the film production company, Smush Media, has over 14 years of experience in television and filmmaking but this is her directorial debut.
