mother
by Matt Finn
Documentary produced by Jamie Macdonald
Synopsis: Explores a 30 year photographic relationship between a son (the photographer) and his Mother. Unknown to him as a child, until the night before his Fathers funeral - his father was a serial bigamist.
The photographs deal with this haunted absence from their collective lives. She was later diagnosed with dementia (which he continued to document) until she died on Mothers Day 2019.
The film then takes a sudden turn and reflects on the present photographic relationship with his young son. This carefully crafted film explores both the complexity and emotion of family life, through the longevity of a unique series of photographs created by Matthew Finn.
"This gentle but perfectly formed short film by Jamie Macdonald is an engaging tribute to Matt Finn’s book Mother. It is seamlessly edited with a pitch perfect soundtrack that enhances rather than overwhelms. Macdonald has managed to remarkably evoke the same tender poignancy of Finn’s celebrated book within his film. The choice to have Finn narrate is a wise one as the story of Finn’s life with his mother and the absent, yet still present, father really comes to life with his voice. At the end, Macdonald shows Finn’s photos of his own son Sebastian and indeed both father and son interacting with a final image of his mother cradling her grandson. This is a graceful touch bringing the story full circle. The film perfectly encapsulates how photographs are often the most authentic and truest way into a life. This is a beautiful, provocative film that marries image, sound and story into a compelling document and one that lingers long after the credits." Elizabeth Smith, Photography Consultant
