An Emotional Journey to Mother's Day: Being a Mother in Society and Cinema

Birgül Tombul

The mother figure is one of the most fundamental symbols in human history. In social memory as well as in many branches of art, including cinema, the mother appears as a character who is sometimes exalted and sometimes questioned.

It's very important to understand the meanings that society attributes to mothers and motherhood. Cinema reconstructs this figure in certain periods. We can follow this through films and TV series. The situation proceeds in the same way in short films as well.

While in some periods a woman's motherhood is glorified and her other identities are pushed aside, recently, alongside motherhood, women's other identities have begun to emerge and be discussed. When it comes time to make sacrifices, women now expect men to make sacrifices too and don't want to be solely responsible for children. Short films and cinema show this expectation placed on women and the troubled and exhausting state of women when they are solely responsible. This creates a wide-ranging impact.

Society's Expectations of Motherhood: The Sanctification of Sacrifice

Society sees motherhood not only as a biological condition but also as the highest form of sacrifice, patience, and compassion. This expectation idealizes the mother by diminishing her individuality. Motherhood thus becomes not a duty but almost a "purpose of existence."

This understanding can sometimes cause women to leave their other identities in the background. Because the most important duty society expects from a woman is to be a mother. Therefore, when any other identity conflicts with motherhood, she is subjected to an imposition that she should prefer the role of motherhood.

Mother as an Archetype in Cinema: Compassionate Hero or Silent Sufferer

In classical cinema, the mother figure is usually a sacred, protective, and emotional character. Mothers who say "I would do anything for my child" are at the center of the dramatic narrative. However, this figure has over time turned into a one-dimensional cliché. The mother is portrayed as a passive character who either suffers or sacrifices herself for others. This does injustice to the multifaceted mothers of real life.

Over time, mothers took control of their own lives. Modern life has created a form of woman outside the classical doctrine. And in this transformation, women began to embody very different roles. Work, career planning, or dreams became important for women.

Motherhood in Modern Cinema: Rebelling and Questioning Women

In recent years, cinema has begun to transform representations of motherhood. Films like "Patision Avenue" paint a multi-layered portrait that makes the mother character both an artist and a human being. It is acknowledged that mothers can make mistakes and have their own desires and pasts. This transforms motherhood from a sacred mold into a human experience.

Women's own transformation causes us to hear these stories more often nowadays. I think the uniqueness of women's lives, like everyone else's, has been discovered. Here, the sharing aspect of parenthood comes into play.

Mother-Child Relationships: Cinema's Deepest Confrontations

In cinema, the relationship between mother and child is one of the areas particularly open to psychological analysis. Mother-daughter conflicts are often woven around themes of identity, freedom, and generational differences, while mother-son relationships are generally dealt with through attachment, belonging, and detachment. Productions like "Please and Thank You" or "Mamoon" reveal how deep and complex these relationships can be.

The Future of the Mother Figure: Shattered Myths, Rewritten Stories

As society changes, so does cinema. Now mothers are portrayed on screen not only as those who raise children at home but as those who try to survive, struggle with the system, and sometimes as characters who are not "good." This is a transformation that liberates not only women but also the audience. Motherhood is no longer confined to a single mold; on the contrary, every woman has the right to write her own motherhood story.

In fact, sometimes, as in the film "Flocky," it includes the situation that we can summarize as "motherhood begins the moment a woman realizes she is expecting a baby." So while women are breaking down societal impositions, in the opposite direction, they are also breaking down the perception that motherhood begins after the baby is born. Actually, significant perception changes are occurring in both directions.

In fact, the mother figure continues to reside in society's conscience and at the heart of art. But now we are beginning to see her not just as an "angel" or a "victim," but as a human being in the full sense. Cinema serves as both a mirror and a compass in this transformation.

Mother's Day and the Mother Figure in Short Films

As Mother's Day approaches, the intensity of emotions and the weight of memories come together. This special day allows for a rethinking of feelings about mothers. Short film, one of the most impressive branches of art, has the power to make the audience deeply feel a strong and multi-layered theme like motherhood in a short time. Let's look at how the mother figure is represented in short films with some recommendations, accompanied by the meanings evoked by Mother's Day.

Mother's Day: A Time for Remembrance and Empathy

Mother's Day is not just a celebration but also a day of empathy and confrontation. Everyone's bond with their mother is different; for some, it's a warm embrace, for others, it's unfinished sentences. Short films are intense and striking enough to show this emotional diversity even in a single scene. In this respect, Mother's Day is a powerful source of inspiration for short film creators.

The Mother Figure in Short Film: Saying Much with Few Words

Short film is the art of building characters impressively within the limitation of time. The mother figure is one of the most intense symbols of this narrative. A look, a movement, or a scene of silent sacrifice; often dialogue is not even necessary to tell the mother's story in short films. This silence also reflects the invisibility of the mother in real life.

The Dilemma of Traditional and Modern Mother: The Conflict of Generations in Short Film

Short films successfully deal with generational conflicts by juxtaposing old and new understandings of motherhood. Especially in productions by young directors, the identities mothers suppress in their lives, forgotten dreams, and the communication they couldn't establish with their children come to the fore. These narratives push the audience to think not only about their mother but also about who their mother once was.

The Narrative of Motherlessness: Absence Also Has a Story

In some short films, the mother figure is not physically present, but her influence is everywhere. The void left after a mother is dealt with through an object or memory of hers. Such narratives offer a powerful representation, especially for those who have lost their mother or never known her on Mother's Day. The absence of a mother holds as deep a story as her presence.

Looking at Motherhood with a New Eye: Women Behind the Camera

Women directors add a different dimension to motherhood narratives through short films. They bring to the screen women who mother not only their children but themselves, mothers who struggle with the system, or characters who reject the role of motherhood. On Mother's Day, these narratives redefine motherhood without sanctifying it but without abandoning respect either.

In Front of the Camera and at Home: The Invisible Struggle of Actor Mothers

Although the world of cinema seems glamorous, behind the scenes, there are intense working hours, travel obligations, and endless set days. For women actors, fitting motherhood into this tempo often requires a serious effort and sacrifice. The state of being a "mother on set, a woman grappling with guilt at home" particularly conflicts with the unlimited existence society expects from motherhood.

Many successful women actors have had to live their motherhood secretly or postpone it for the sake of their careers. Some have taken their children with them to sets, while others have openly expressed the burnout they experienced years later. This conflict is not only physical; it deepens with societal judgments, social media pressure, and the imposition of "good mother" stereotypes.

Nevertheless, the experiences of actor mothers show that women can carry both their artistic aspects and caregiving roles simultaneously. Short films and documentaries have begun to make this internal conflict increasingly visible. These narratives also serve as a mirror to society, which confines motherhood to a single definition.

A Great Selection of Short Films About Mothers

Flocky is a wonderful animation film that you can only watch on Cineshort. I must say, it's one of the best animations I've watched in a long time. It contains quite emotional elements. A mother, whether her baby is born alive or dead, always carries that special state of motherhood inside her. We have a mother who learns she will have a baby, and a very special bond forms between her and her baby. Spending time with it is a wonderful feeling. They're having quite a lot of fun indeed. Then she realizes she has lost her baby. That emotional detachment is very well portrayed in the animation. Another important and beautiful point is that we watch this whole film accompanied by a wonderful winter landscape. I recommend this wonderful animation film to anyone who wants to watch a beautiful animation accompanied by a train journey.

Please & Thank You is a beautiful drama film that you will watch with curiosity. The film tells about a single-parent family and the problems in this type of family. Especially the issue of women's poverty is impressive. The mother's exhaustion in both disciplining her child, taking responsibility for him, and providing for them, and her struggle to save their house before winter comes is dealt with in a very impressive style. This issue is essentially one of our social problems, and short film is a very important tool for conveying these problems. It's quite important for the disadvantaged section of society to be supported within the understanding of the social state. Otherwise, one problem can be the precursor to other problems, and then the solution can become more difficult and more expensive. To return to the film, I really liked it. The woman's effort is worthy of all support. I definitely recommend you watch it. Enjoy.

Do No Harm is a beautiful film that you will watch with excitement, both emotional and full of action. I can say it's especially for you if you have a special interest in Far Eastern martial arts and like action. A mother and a doctor. What should you do if your patient is both your blackmailer and your patient? The film conveys to us pedophilia and child trafficking, which are really very big problems in the world, in a very impressive intensity. It pulls you into the film and makes you conflicted. I just have a small criticism at this point; there are too many bloody scenes. But I think this might have bothered me as a personal preference. A very good film for enthusiasts. I wish you pleasant viewing.

Mamoon is a very good animation drama that you will watch with curiosity. In our film, a mother is safely walking outside with her tiny baby in a climate of peace. Afterwards, that safe environment gives way to darkness. The child grows up and nothing changes as they grow. Even the mother's protection becomes ineffective after a while. It's a quite sad animation and I definitely recommend you watch it. Enjoy.

The Crescent is a very impressive drama that you will watch with sadness. In the film, you directly see the power of art. It's quite impressive to see the evil of the war environment, the damage it causes, and the pain it creates in eight minutes. Our film tells the story of a baby in the womb looking at the events in the outside world. And you feel happiness from the baby's crying in that difficult environment. I definitely recommend the film, hoping that wars will end and all disputes will be resolved through diplomatic methods.

Migrants is a wonderful drama that you will watch on Cineshort. The issue of migration, which affects the world most deeply, is conveyed to the audience by being processed with environmental problems with great creativity. Our heroes, the mother and baby polar bears, now have to migrate due to global warming. In the place they go, the other bears don't want them. The polar bears, who are subjected to exclusion and mistreatment, realize they are not alone while escaping. All polar bears are reported to a boat by border security and sent away. Some of the immigrants and asylum seekers in today's world, unfortunately, face such problems. Every year, millions of people go to different countries due to wars and various other reasons. Among these, especially irregular migration is quite risky. The image in the last scene was exactly the posture of baby Alan washed up on the Aegean shores and it deeply shook me. With the wish to find the comfortable and free life we deserve in our own country and not to be subject to any discrimination in the country where we are accepted. I definitely recommend the film to everyone.

El Vestido is an intense drama film that you will watch with sadness. Our hero's only wish is to buy her mother a red dress she really wanted and to send her off in her most beautiful state. What a painful duty for a child to send a mother to eternity. And no matter how painful it is, a mother definitely wants to say goodbye to this world by holding the hands of those children last. Actually, another issue dealt with in the film is poverty. That poverty is a separating factor even on the most painful day. It's a quite beautiful film, I definitely recommend it to everyone. Enjoy.

Patision Avenue is a wonderful drama that you will watch with excitement. Our hero is an actor mother. The events that develop during her phone conversation while walking on the road and doing voice exercises, and a sudden major change are the subject. In the film, you clearly see the woman's need for help, trapped between the role assigned to her in social roles and her profession. The difficulty of explaining something to a small child, the helplessness there is very well handled. It even leads the audience to anxiety and tension while watching. We too have experienced such chaos in some periods of our lives. Our day, which starts calm and beautiful, suddenly takes on a completely different state, and we can't get out of it. Another aspect of the film is that we witness the events by following our hero only from behind, as if we were in a computer game. The parallel between the change in her hair and the change in her mood has incredibly increased the impressiveness. I found the film quite beautiful and impressive, I definitely recommend it to everyone.

In Conclusion

It's possible to celebrate Mother's Day not only with flowers but with meaningful stories. Watching a short film sometimes tells more than writing a message. Because a mother's story can sometimes make the viewer cry, think, change in 5 minutes. On this Mother's Day, remembering the silent but powerful mother figures in short films might be the most meaningful gift.

Although Mother's Day appears to be a celebration day on the surface, it actually carries a much deeper, much more personal meaning. For some, it is full of warm memories; for others, it reminds of losses, deficiencies, or difficult relationships. That's why even though it's a universal day, it doesn't carry the same feelings for everyone.

Society generally romanticizes this day through the image of the "self-sacrificing mother." However, every mother's story is unique; not every woman experiences motherhood in the same way or may not want to experience it. Therefore, Mother's Day should be not only a celebration but also a day of awareness and empathy. It's an opportunity that reminds us to look with a different eye at the women who gave birth to us, raised us, influenced us, or even shaped our lives with their absence.

Short films are also the most important tool helping us to find this transformation, the problems in this transformation, and the solutions. Films, and especially short films, are in a very important place in creating social norms. Because with the practicality of short film production, it can bring many different and many issues to the agenda.

This Mother's Day, you can gift your mother a Cineshort subscription. I think it's a cooler gift than an iron, a vacuum cleaner, or a kitchen robot. Putting her feet up and watching a film will ultimately do her good too. I'm glad we have short films in our lives.

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers.