Laurie Townshend, Director. A MOTHER APART follows acclaimed poet, performer, and activist Staceyann Chin (Def Poetry Slam, MotherStruck!) on a deeply personal search for her biological mother, who abandoned her as a child in Jamaica. Now a mother herself, Staceyann wrestles with the question: how do you raise a daughter when your own mother left you behind?
Intimate yet universal, A MOTHER APART is a profound story of resilience, reconciliation, and the courage to break cycles of neglect, as well as how to approach forgiveness and intergenerational healing with radical honesty and deep compassion. A vital work for conversations on LGBTQ+ identity, Black motherhood, and the transformative power of love and forgiveness, the film invites audiences to reflect on what it truly means to mother and to be mothered. 88 min. English & German.
“A really beautiful, tender, layered, emotionally honest exploration of motherhood.” – Beandrea July, Filmweek (LAist)