Slamdance / British Shorts 2019 – Mothering
Mothering tells the story of a young girl, Mia, arriving at her new foster home. When her first period unexpectedly appears in the early hours, help comes in the form of her foster parent's elderly mother, Pauline.
Interview with Writer/Director Lucy Bridger and Producer Ailsa Vanessa Tapping
Watch Mothering here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
LUCY: I made the film shortly after my grandad passed away, I wanted to make something that depicted the relationship I shared with him and my grandma and the home they had. I think there's a really unique dynamic between teenagers and grandparents. I found it incredibly calming being in the presence of somebody whose lived a long time and as a teenager, and it really helped me deal with things that were going on in my life. So that's why we made it. I wrote a loose script and got some funding, and it snowballed pretty quick from there.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
LUCY: It's a simple story, but it'll take you on an emotional journey. It also looks beautiful, Nick Morris our DOP did an amazing job.
AILSA: Mothering is a delicate film which shares a strong message about normalising periods. It’s important, but it’s also very beautiful and sensitive. It’s probably the first time that I’ve been able to come out the other side of a project and be able to confidently say there’s not a single thing I would change about it, so it’s really rewarding to share it with festival audiences.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
LUCY: The film focuses a lot on female identity. Helen, the foster mother, has the chance to be a mother, an opportunity she’s never had before. Pauline, the grandmother, is happy for her daughter and being a naturally maternal woman, she is happy to have a chance to mother again as a grandmother. As Mia is a foster child, her sense of self is already damaged and her sense of identity fluctuates constantly throughout the film. She is a stranger in an unknown place. She is thrown into disarray when her period arrives, with it being a very significant milestone as a woman.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
LUCY: I started with a very loose script. We only had a few hours of rehearsals with the actors during pre-production and I allowed them to improvise, some of their lines from the improv made it back into the script. It was all kept loose even when we were filming, as we had beats to hit, but improvising was encouraged.
AILSA: We made sure to create a very calm and safe atmosphere on set, so the cast had enough time to settle in to and explore their roles. It was very important to me that nothing was rushed.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
LUCY: This sounds smug, but it’s been quite positive. This is my first short so I had pretty low expectations, I had no idea if it would land or if people would respond to it. But it's been an amazing 6 months at the festivals and it's given us a lot of confidence moving forward.
AILSA: The reaction we’ve had has been incredible. To be screened at such amazing festivals as well as winning Best British Short at UK Film Festival and London Short Film Festival is amazing. It’s really surpassed my expectations. We feel incredibly proud! And more importantly - extremely grateful to all of our execs, cast, crew, friends and family who made it possible.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
LUCY: It's challenged how I see myself as a filmmaker. It's given me confidence to write, to be prolific and trust my instincts.
AILSA: It can be nerve-wracking anticipating people’s reaction to something that you care about. The feedback we have received has made me really excited about what we can make 2019 and beyond!
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
LUCY: We're excited for more people to see our film and we think it's a great place talk about it.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
LUCY: We just want more people to see it, so we'd love to screen at more festivals!
AILSA: We’re definitely looking to get it seen by more people, and are hoping to screen at a few more international festivals this year before doing an online release. I’d love to talk to sales agents, buyers and distributors - as well as festival directors.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
LUCY: We'd like it to resonate with people emotionally, especially with a male audience who have never experienced a period first hand.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
LUCY: We'd love this film to get people thinking about how, culturally, periods are seen as something to be ashamed of and how that affects women who are most vulnerable. It's irritating that we are taught to heavily conceal something so natural.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
LUCY: I've written another short that Ailsa is producing, we're in the process of applying for funding and we're hoping to make it this year!
AILSA: There’s a lot more to come. I can’t say too much at this stage but keep your eyes peeled.
Interview: January 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Mothering
Mothering tells the story of a young girl, Mia, arriving at her new foster home. When her first period unexpectedly appears in the early hours, help comes in the form of her foster parent's elderly mother, Pauline.
Length: 14:17
Director: Lucy Bridger
Producer: Ailsa Vanessa Tapping
Writer: Lucy Bridger
About the writer, director and producer:
Raised in the Midlands by a beauty therapist and civil servant, LUCY BRIDGER now splits her time between personal projects and commercial work. Having previously directed a few experimental documentaries, Lucy decided to take her first foray into fiction, writing and directing her debut ‘Mothering’.
AILSA VANESSA TAPPING is a multi-award winning producer, based in London. She works across commercial content, music promo and narrative work. Her latest short film Mothering has been awarded Best British Short Film at UK Film Festival and London Short Film Festival. It is currently screening internationally at Slamdance and British Shorts, Berlin.
Key cast: Sapphire Paine (Mia), Ursula Jones (Ursula), Angela McHale (Helen)
Looking for: sales agents, distributors, buyers, journalists
Facebook: Mothering
Other: IMDB
Funders: Nice Shirt Films, Flare Studio
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Slamdance, Utah - Saturday, January 26th 10:30AM, British Shorts, Berlin - Sunday, January 20th 18:00PM