Uncovering the multifaceted life of Sinead, a middle-aged single mother and online sex worker.

Interview with Director Tara O'Callaghan

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Over lockdown a lot of people I knew lost their jobs and 'will I start an OnlyFans?' became a running joke around that time due to a massive surge of online sex work. I was fascinated by how prevalent online sex work has become in comparison to what it was like ten years ago with cam-girls and message boards in dark corners of the internet. But this was different, girls were for the first time talking and promoting online sex work on their public and personal accounts.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

Call Me Mommy is an intimate portrait of a modern-day Sex worker. We dig into the effects of ‘Mommy issues’ in Sinead’s career as a mature sex worker, her personal life and as a stay-at-home single mother of 4, but at its heart, it's a story about a woman who refuses to give up on herself.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Sex work is the oldest job in the world but is still one of the most aggressively punished crimes. In Call Me Mommy, we challenge the perspectives on sex workers by having Sinead tell her story in her own words, as even in cinema the perspective and image of women are most often held through the male gaze. We also explore the issues and stereotypes of motherhood throughout the film what it means to be a mother, how motherhood affects Sinead's work and her exploration of her relationship with her mother.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

Going into the film, I had thought that a certain part of Sinead's life would become the dominant force of the story, an incident with her ex-partner. It remains a part of the film - but throughout the shooting process, it became clear that Sinead's real struggle was from the relationship she had with her own mother. Our 'Mommy' theme quickly became our centre point after an emotional interview with Sinead where she became vulnerable in a way she never allowed herself to be, so from that point, we began to pivot the story.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

It has been very inspiring to see how people have connected with Sinead's story and the response has varied, a lot of women seem to connect quite deeply to her struggles as a mother and are inspired by her resilience - while a lot of men I've spoken to can't get their head around a mother doing sex work.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

I spent two years taking and researching with sex workers and hearing about the backlash they've had to endure from doing sex work, so going into the project I was expecting a much stronger negative response if I'm being honest. I think giving people the opportunity to connect with Sinead's personal story and allowing people to see her job as part of her life not her whole life has been a great way to have people's perceptions and stereotypes challenged.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

Having the film reach a wider audience.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

Sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors and journalists.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I hope Call Me Mommy gets people to question their own stereotypes and reactions to online sex work and sex work in general. This line of work carries huge prejudices but just because it’s an uncomfortable topic doesn’t mean it’s not happening. If anything, with the explosion of the internet, sex work is becoming more and more common. I don’t know if we’ll change any minds, but I’d love for people to sympathize more with the women and think about things from their perspective instead of jumping to their own conclusions about what kind of people they are. Hopefully, Call Me Mommy can start that conversation and begin to break down the preconceptions attached to sex work where traditionally power has not been in the hands of the sex worker.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Would you support a family member doing online sex work?

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Moving into development of narrative projects.

Interview: January 2023

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

Call Me Mommy

A Mother's Love is a Blessing.

Length: 15:00

Director: Tara O'Callaghan

Producer: Lousie Byrne

About the writer, director and producer:

TARA O'CALLAGHAN combines surrealism with expressionistic editing for a unique feeling. Her style cuts through narrative to reveal the underlying emotional core. From Kinsale Shark Awards and Vimeo Staff Picks to Best Short Documentary at the Oscar Qualifying Galway Film Fleadh, and now the 2023 Sundance Film Festival - Tara continues to demand attention.

Key cast: Sinead Connell

Looking for: sales agents, distributors and buyers

Instagram: @callmemommyfilm

Hashtags used: #CMM #callmemommyfilm

Website: motherland.ie/work/call-me-mommy

Other: IMDb

Funders: Motherland

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?

Sundance Film Festival 2023
**Premiere** 01/22/2023 // 9:00 AM Prospector Square Theatre, Park City
**Repeat** 01/23/2023 // 3:00 PM Broadway Centre Cinema 6, Salt Lake City
**Repeat** 01/26/2023 // 7:00 PM Megaplex at the Gateway 8/9, Salt Lake City
**Repeat** 01/28/2023 // 12:00 PM Holiday Village Cinema 3, Park City