The Unsung Heroism of Motherhood

The way we talk about motherhood often presents a paradox: we celebrate its joys while rarely acknowledging its brutal realities. Josephine Ahnelt’s documentary Waves Turn shines a light on this disconnect, offering a refreshingly honest portrayal of the first year of parenthood.

Austrian artist Judith Rohrmoser’s self-portrait, breastfeeding her baby with an unflinching gaze, humanizes the experience of new motherhood by stripping away the idealized veneer that often hides its true nature. The images of four other mothers who participated in Ahnelt’s film do the same: they’re not perpetually serene or blissful; instead, they’re exhausted, joyful, bored, and wondering – all at once.

The documentary employs 16mm film to capture the intimacy of home life, resulting in a film that feels more like a series of private moments shared between friends than a detached observer’s gaze. Ahnelt’s thoughtful direction weaves these women’s stories together with her own, creating a nuanced portrayal of motherhood.

One of the most striking aspects of Waves Turn is its refusal to sentimentalize motherhood. It’s not just about the “joys” or the “challenges”; it’s about the messy, contradictory experience of being a new mother. These women struggle to adjust to their new roles, often feeling overwhelmed by the responsibility that comes with caring for another human life.

Waves Turn joins a tradition of feminist filmmaking that seeks to challenge and subvert societal expectations around motherhood. Filmmakers like Agnès Varda and Claire Denis have long pushed against romanticized narratives surrounding this transition. Ahnelt’s documentary offers a refreshingly unsentimental portrayal of what it means to become a mother.

As we consider the implications of Waves Turn, our broader cultural attitudes towards motherhood come into focus. How do we talk about new mothers in public discourse? Do we recognize the exhaustion and struggle that often accompanies this transition, or do we perpetuate unrealistic expectations around its supposed joys?

The answer lies somewhere between these two extremes – a nuanced understanding of motherhood as both beautiful and brutal, joyful and overwhelming. Waves Turn offers us a powerful reminder of this complexity, challenging us to rethink our assumptions about what it means to be a new mother.

Ahnelt’s approach to documentary filmmaking is noteworthy not just for its content but also for its form. By employing 16mm film and an intimate shooting style, Ahnelt creates a sense of immediacy that’s hard to shake. This is a film that feels like it’s being shared among friends – raw, unvarnished, and utterly human.

This approach speaks to the changing nature of documentary storytelling in the age of social media. As more people turn to online platforms for personal stories and intimate experiences, Waves Turn offers a compelling example of how traditional documentary filmmaking can still offer something unique and valuable. By prioritizing the personal over the polished, Ahnelt’s film reminds us that sometimes it’s the simplest, most straightforward approach that yields the greatest rewards.

The mothers in Waves Turn are willing to share their deepest fears and insecurities on camera – a testament to Ahnelt’s skill as a director who can coax raw emotion out of her subjects. This commitment to vulnerability is also reflected in the film’s use of Judith Rohrmoser’s self-portrait, which serves as a powerful rebuke to the traditional Madonna-with-child trope.

As we watch Waves Turn, it’s impossible not to think about the future of motherhood. How will our children grow up with these new narratives in mind? Will they be more empowered by their mothers’ struggles and triumphs, or will they feel overwhelmed by the expectations that still surround this transition?

The final credits roll on Waves Turn, leaving us with a sense of wonder and awe at the women who’ve shared their stories with us. They’re not just mothers – they’re artists, activists, and individuals, each one with their own unique voice and perspective. And it’s this that makes Waves Turn such an essential film – a reminder that motherhood is not just about the child but also about the woman herself, her own desires, fears, and insecurities.