We interviewed Mihaal Danziger, director of A Certain Mother, presented in official selection at the 2022 Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, which we are covering as official media partner.
As proud Official media partner of the 2022 Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, we are offering you a series of interviews with the filmmakers in competition at this year’s MDFF, running in person on July 21-31 and online on July 1-31.
A Certain Mother interweaves the stories of four women from across Australia as they navigate the challenges of parenthood – offering an intimate look into social issues, and a snapshot of motherhood today.
From the Dandenong Ranges, through rural pastures, to Sydney’s northern beaches – a single day unfolds for four women in the throes of motherhood. Whilst tending to the relentless demands of the day, they are determined to rise above the struggles that parenthood had brought close to them. Whether faced with disability, or their own anxieties, a weight-preoccupied teen or the biases of others, they are forced to deconstruct and redefine some of our culture’s most sacred ideals.
We were delighted to chat with director Mihaal Danziger about the reason why she made the film, and about her directing choices.
“The work of raising children […] is the making of the next generation, and an opportunity to build something meaningful.”
How did you pick the four mothers you follow in the film ?
Mihaal Danziger: On the one hand, I think I could have chosen any mother to be a part of this film. Everyone has an interesting story, and every story of motherhood leads us to new understandings. On the other hand, I did spend a very long time researching in order to find these specific four women. I was looking for women whose stories highlight a specific issue with a stronger, brighter spotlight. And I was interested in women who look squarely in the eye of these issues, and really stop to consider them.
To what extent do you consider the film as a tribute to mothers ?
Mihaal Danziger: Although it wasn’t the main aim of the film, I think by choice of subject and focus, it does become a tribute to mothers. The work of raising children – this small work that we do in our homes, every unremarkable day, for a short and fleeting window of time – is the making of the next generation, and an opportunity to build something meaningful. It’s big work. This film is an invitation to pause and really consider this, with gratitude and respect.
Has the filmmaking process somehow healed or helped you ? Did you find answers you were looking for on a personal note ? Did you achieve your quest ?
Mihaal Danziger: Yes! The insights and perspectives that came about in the making of this film – they stay with me, and I often return to them when I am despairing over one thing or another. Of course, there are always new questions and new crises to resolve 🙂
On a broader level, making the film made me feel less alone in this world.
Raising a kid and taking care of a film project both pose big challenges. What was the most difficult thing you experienced while crafting the film ? And what was your favourite aspect of it ?
Mihaal Danziger: Raising young kids and making a film is almost an oxymoron. It means a lot of compromises along the way. For me it meant that the film had to be made very slowly, with limited time, limited resources, and minimal travel. The most difficult thing was probably lockdown! I was trying to get through the edit of the fourth story, I had three young kids homeschooling next to me, an endless soundtrack of “mum!” “mum?” “mum!!”, and at times I was truly going mad.
My favourite aspect was editing. Especially those moments when things come together, when you manage to resolve a big issue, and when the story becomes alive.
How do you expect audiences to receive the film ?
Mihaal Danziger: I would love for people to come out of the film with a tangible sense of just how huge the work of parenting really is. I also hope it will support and inspire parents who are facing similar issues, and prompt all of us to reconsider some of our deeply held ideas of right and wrong, good and bad. Mostly, I hope parents will watch it and feel just that little bit less alone in this world.
