Earth Mama

Writer-director Savanah Leaf explores the theme of single motherhood through the eyes of a woman trying to stay afloat in a tough environment. Gia, the protagonist, is heavily pregnant and has two children in foster care whom she visits once a week. Unable to make ends meet, she is forced to attend a rehabilitation scheme to prove she is fit to raise her children.

The story unfolds quietly and unhurriedly, with documentary-style scenes depicting Gia’s day-to-day life, from the supervised meetings with her children to the group therapy sessions that show the testimonies of other pregnant women in similar situations. Gia’s part-time job is her lifeline, and while she has the support of a few friends, a sense of collective hardship looms over her entire community. Increasingly desperate and under pressure, she finds herself having to make a painful choice.

Earth Mama is a social commentary on class and race, showing the strong influence that a person’s background and status can have on every single aspect of life, ultimately determining one’s destiny. The director merges stark realism with dream-like intermissions that offer a window into Gia’s imagination and the feelings she does not express. It’s an honest portrayal that doesn’t try to make the protagonist likeable at any cost, but rather lets her humanity and vulnerability do the talking. A slow burner that gradually draws the audience in, the story purposely blurs the edges so that there are no straight answers, only reality and the daily doubts and uncertainties that are intrinsic to it.

Although the plot could do with more material and feels somewhat underwritten, the cinematography is effective in many ways and the characters feel authentic. The tone is so subdued it sometimes comes across as flat, but the film excels in its portrayal of intimacy and subtle solidarity, especially within the network of black women who must navigate their way through a rigid and often harsh system.

Mersa Auda

Earth Mama is released nationwide on 8^th December 2023.

Watch the trailer for Earth Mama here: