Mommies by Elvira Krithari and Maria Sidiropoulou − 2022
An Onassis Culture production
Two women, an egg donor and a recipient and mother of three, share their thoughts and perspectives on motherhood and the IVF children’s right to learn the truth about their roots.
The film "Mommies" combines the narratives around motherhood of two women who do not know each other, nor are they related in any way. However, they are the two poles of the same genetic process, one as the donor and the other as the recipient of the primary cell of life. After four failed IVF attempts, Joanna becomes a single parent of triplets. She decides to tell them the truth about the way they came into this world. Rosa became and egg donor five times. She doesn’t know how many of them developed into full grown children, but this thought doesn’t scare her. She decided to make some easy cash by giving away a piece of herself. Dozens of eggs and three children later, Rosa and Ioanna give their own answers about origins, roots, fathers and the concept of truth, to questions that most of us didn't know we had.
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Film Stills
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Rosa is an egg donor. Τhe Assisted Reproduction Unit, where she donated her eggs, considered Rosa, a proper donor and encouraged her to donate again. She underwent the donation process five times, giving away an unknown number of eggs that come up to roughly fifty. She doesn’t know how many of them developed into full-grown children, but just the thought that somewhere in the world, her biological descendants exist does not scare her. Nothing scares Rosa, who works as an oil painter and a waitress to make ends meet and who one day, a few years ago, decided to make some easy cash by giving away a piece of herself.
The documentary by Maria Sidiropoulou and Elvira Krithari had its world premiere at the 63rd Krakow Film Festival (28.05-18.06.2023), one of the oldest festivals in Europe.
Since we didn’t have a dad, because we couldn’t find one, we were born because the doctor planted the seeds to mum with a machine.
The original reason for creating this film was a journalistic investigation. Far from it, "Mommies" is a creative short documentary depicting non conformist families who aren’t visible enough. It summarizes the main questions that the choices of the protagonists raise to the viewer. The stop-motion narrative with the use of 35mm film photography as well as the childhood photos of the two protagonists reveal various archetypes and truths about motherhood and our origins that are matched by some nice shots of the moon from an amateur telescope. If this is a film about our roots, the view of space sums up where we all come from.
An Onassis Culture Production
Directed by Elvira Krithari, Maria Sidiropoulou
Research: Elvira Krithari
Director of Photography: Maria Sidiropoulou
Script: Elvira Krithari, Maria Sidiropoulou
Editing: Alexandra Verykokkou
Director of Photography Stop Motion: Myrto Tzima
Music: Veslemes
Title Animation: Eirini Vianelli
Sound Mix : Sotiris Laskaris - Open Studio Post
Color Grading: Giorgos Kolios
Assistant Director: Eleni Zentefi
Archival Research: Niovi Anazikou
Assistant Producer: Katerina Karavia
Translation and Subtitles: Evita Lykou
Rental Equipment: RentPhotoVideo
DCP: Authorwave
Executive Producer: Thunderbird Productions