The main process by which I went about producing the film, was by engaging in an informal conversation with my mum, in which we talked as usual about significant events from our past that had left some profound mark on our memories.

 

I found this was a really elightening experience. Having discussed some of my intentions for the film, my mum began to discuss with me, in great detail, the complexity of her experience in an abusive marriage and her journey to single parenthood. This provided us with an opportunity to communicate in a new way about how our experiences differed and offered me the chance to gain new insight into my mums emotional and social history.

 

Despite the long departure from this past life, my mum expressed a persisting deep pain, that continued to inform her current relationships. The topics mum raised centered around three key themes: negotiating predicatability (or lack thereof), forms of economic oppression and the longevity of trauma. 

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Though we often talk openly about times past, the presence of the camera had a notable impact on the way my mum chose to express herself. I felt we were both trying to navigate an ordinary conversation, while meeting the potential demands of narrative building. I noticed mum saying "and so time moved on" consistently, even when the stories she told, had no chronology. Perhaps it was a way of building some structure into the narrative, given that I refrained from asking a lot questions.

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I will forever be gratuitous to my mum, for the vulnerability and honesty she constantly expresses to me, that helped me not only come to a film that went some way in beginning to tell our story, but helped me start to come to terms with the past.

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Thank you mum.