Filmmaker Moms Need the Industry to be a Part of our Village
By: Chicken, Egg Pictures
Tags: Motherhood, Documentary Film, Mothers, Female Filmmakers, Filmmaking

I became a new mom in 2019 and as one working in the independent documentary industry, I quickly realized how challenging it is to get work done, while also being a caregiver to my son. Receiving invitations for pitch meetings, film festivals, and workshops — something that has always been exciting for me — all of a sudden became a major challenge. Going on my usual production trips and shoots became equally difficult and costly. As mothers who are producing independent documentaries, childcare can be a super expensive and complex decision, and oftentimes we are still fundraising for our films and leagues away from being able to pay ourselves for our work. I found myself constantly wondering, Should I bring my just-months-old baby and hire a babysitter on site, or should I bring a family member to take care of him while I attend work obligations? Should I even go? The truth is, whatever decision I ended up making, I knew that it would require money — money that I wasn’t making from my film at that time. Similarly, not attending pitch meetings and workshops would cost the progress of my film. So the question became, how can a momma succeed in this industry?

I recall spending days and nights stressing out over this issue and wishing that I was instead spending my energy creating my film and spending quality time with my newborn son. Once, when faced with the question of whether or not I should travel to attend a pitch meeting, I decided to contact other momma filmmakers to ask, “How exactly do you do this? What has your strategy been? How do you keep going?” It was so inspiring and encouraging to hear advice from other moms who do it all, all the time. But at the same time, it also concerned me that our methods of doing it all, all the time, may not be sustainable for our lives, our families, and our careers.

Filmmaker Débora Souza Silva on the set of Black Mothers. Photo credit: Phuong Kagan.

So I began making a point to voice my concerns and challenges whenever I was invited to attend film-related events. “Is there any type of support available for momma filmmakers?,” “Can I have a designated spot for my breastfeeding breaks?,” or “Can my relative (turned babysitter) have access to the building, so that she can look after my baby while I pitch my film?” Looking back, I think that I was unconsciously trying to normalize my “condition” as a new mom in the field. It wasn’t easy, and I recall being super uncomfortable every time I made my challenges known. For that reason, I completely understand and fully support those moms who prefer to keep these challenges to themselves. After all, it’s hard for any of us independent filmmakers to ask for more when we’re thinking, we’ve already been given this amazing opportunity.

To my surprise, the more I asked difficult, uncomfortable questions, the more I came across amazing folks who were willing to do anything to accommodate my needs. “What exactly do you need?,” a festival organizer once asked me. I didn’t even know where to start simply because I was not used to hearing that question.

As a new mom I was actually still clueless regarding my needs in traveling for work with a baby. So once again, I turned to other filmmaking mommas and asked, “What should I say that we, mommas, need in these situations?” I wanted to make sure that I was speaking not only for myself, but for us working moms in the film industry. One momma responded that “having childcare on site would be fantastic!” Another one mentioned that she’d prefer to get funding for childcare, so she could afford to leave her children at home and focus on her work obligations. For me, support at that time meant being able to travel with a trusted family member who’d look after my exclusively breastfeeding baby during my work commitments. After hearing from other women, I realized that support for filmmaking moms is not one-size-fits-all. We each have different childcare needs, but many of us lack enough support to even know what our options are.

Of course, I am beyond grateful to have come across some very supportive folks in the industry who provided additional funding for my childcare needs, or a designated spot to suit my breastfeeding needs, or even extra travel mileage so that I could bring a family member to care for my little one. I am forever thankful to those who listened to my needs and made it possible for me to attend such crucial events.

Today, my son Lázaro is 21 months old. If it was not for the COVID pandemic, I’d surely be traveling quite frequently for shoots, pitch meetings, and film festivals. And I’d probably choose to not bring him because, at his developmental stage, he is quite vocal and a bit too active to ride along with me at work without causing major distractions. While I haven’t had many travel commitments lately due to the pandemic, it doesn’t mean that it has been easier to balance work and parenthood. I am fortunate that I can now pay myself for my work thanks to the amazing organizations that support my film project. Not to mention that I have a great daycare in place for Láz, and close family members who always step in whenever I need extra childcare support. But I know that, unfortunately, this is not the case for most filmmaking moms out there. And I also know this is not enough. We need to change our industry to recognize the reality of family life and actively address the unique needs of all parents and caregivers.

Recent reports show that the COVID-19 pandemic could force a generation of moms out of the workforce. In the already unsustainable independent film industry, moms and caregivers are at greater risk of not being able to complete their films or quitting their careers because they lack support. It would be a loss not only to these artists, but to the entire film industry and its audiences.

On a brighter note, and in response to the needs of filmmaking moms, there have been a few new initiatives designed to help working moms stay in the game. Studio IX, for instance, created a new grant designed to help cover the cost of childcare, so mothers can focus on their work. There needs to be more of these opportunities if we don’t want to lose parenting filmmakers.

We all know that it takes a village to raise a child; likewise, it takes a village to make a film. As a mom in the film industry, I am hopeful that our village of supporters will continue to grow over time.