David Reviews / Pick of The Day: Anna Fearon’s “Motherhood”

2 November 2020 / Andrew MacGregor

This timely and thought-provoking short film examines Black motherhood in 2020, with a mix of current and expectant mums narrating their hopes and fears. Naturally, both Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement are at the forefront of their minds, but so are thoughts about disability, life opportunities, and, most crucially, their child’s happiness.

The result is a frank but optimistic piece of work from director Anna Fearon, who draws some fascinating answers from her devoted cast. For example, Kelechi Okafor (who’s written about the racial hypocrisy of certain Instagram mums) ponders the “supremacist patriarchy” that her child may encounter in later life. She and her fellow mums hope today’s conversations remove that possiblity.