First-Person Perspectives: Representations of Motherhood in Contemporary Spanish Documentary Film (2013–2023)

En primera persona: representaciones de la maternidad en el documental español contemporáneo (2013-2023)

Primeira pessoa: representações da maternidade no cinema documental espanhol contemporâneo (2013-2023)

Mariona Visa-Barbosa^1*

Margarida Carnicé Mur^1**

Lorenzo J. Torres Hortelano^2***

¹ University of Lleida, Spain
² Rey Juan Carlos University, Spain

^* Lecturer in the Department of Philology and Communication, University of Lleida, Spain. Email: mariona.visa@udl.cat
^** Lecturer in the Department of Philology and Communication, University of Lleida, Spain. Email: margarida.carnice@udl.cat
^*** Full professor in the Department of Communication, Rey Juan Carlos University, Spain. Email: lorenzojavier.torres.hortelano@urjc.es

Abstract

This article aims to analyse Spanish documentary films of the last decade available on video-on-demand (VoD) platforms to observe how they represent motherhood and reproductive processes, including menstruation, pre-conception, infertility, pregnancy, childbirth, gestational and perinatal losses, abortion, the postpartum period, breastfeeding and menopause. Following a systematic search for documentaries meeting the inclusion criteria, 10 relevant works were identified and subjected to quantitative content and qualitative textual analysis, using the close-reading technique. The results confirm the emergence of narratives that challenge traditional representations of motherhood, albeit whilst still co-existing with some essentialist discourses. They further corroborate a trend towards intimacy and the showcasing of women’s own voices in the narration of experiences surrounding motherhood, as well as an increase in the visibility of female professionals such as midwives and doulas and of sorority between women. However, the social impact of these discourses is limited and exists alongside other types of imaginaries.

Keywords:
Documentary film; Motherhood; Pregnancy; Postpartum; Abortion; Breastfeeding.

Resumen

Este artículo tiene como objetivo analizar las obras documentales españolas de la última década disponibles en plataformas de video on demand (VoD) con el fin de observar qué tipo de representaciones se realizan de la maternidad y sus procesos: menstruación, pre-concepción, infertilidad, embarazo, parto, pérdidas gestacionales y perinatales, interrupción voluntaria del embarazo, postparto, lactancia y menopausia. Tras una búsqueda sistemática de documentales que cumplieran los criterios de inclusión se identificaron 10 obras relevantes, que se sometieron a un análisis de contenido cuantitativo y a un análisis textual cualitativo aplicando la técnica de la lectura en profundidad. Los resultados confirman el surgimiento de relatos que desafían las representaciones tradicionales de la maternidad, aunque estos conviven todavía con algunos discursos esencialistas. También corroboran una tendencia al intimismo y a recoger la voz propia de las mujeres en la narración de las experiencias en torno de la maternidad, así como un aumento de la visibilidad de profesionales femeninas, como matronas y doulas, y de la sororidad entre mujeres. De todos modos, la influencia social de estos discursos es limitada y coexiste con otro tipo de imaginarios.

Palabras clave
Cine documental; Maternidad; Embarazo; Postparto; Aborto; Lactancia.

Resumo

Este artigo tem como objetivo analisar as obras documentais espanholas da última década disponíveis em plataformas de vídeo sob demanda (VoD), com o intuito de observar que tipo de representações são feitas da maternidade e seus processos: menstruação, pré-concepção, infertilidade, gravidez, parto, perdas gestacionais e perinatais, interrupção voluntária da gravidez, pós-parto, amamentação e menopausa. Após uma busca sistemática de documentários que atendessem aos critérios de inclusão, foram identificadas 10 obras relevantes, submetidas a uma análise de conteúdo quantitativa e a uma análise textual qualitativa com a aplicação da técnica de leitura em profundidade. Os resultados confirmam o surgimento de narrativas que desafiam as representações tradicionais da maternidade, embora estas ainda coexistam com discursos essencialistas. Também corroboram uma tendência ao intimismo e à valorização da voz própria das mulheres na narração das experiências ligadas à maternidade, assim como um aumento na visibilidade de profissionais mulheres, como parteiras e doulas, e da sororidade entre mulheres. Ainda assim, a influência social desses discursos é limitada e convive com outros tipos de imaginários.

Palavras-chave
Cinema documental; Maternidade; Gravidez; Pós-parto; Aborto; Amamentação.

1. Introduction

Audiovisual media play an essential role in transmitting the cultural imaginary and legitimizing new social models (Couldry, 2019). This paper aims to examine whether Spanish documentary films of the last decade available on video-on-demand (VoD) platforms reflect the rapid evolution of social, cultural and technological models. Specifically, it will focus on the representation of processes related to motherhood, namely: menstruation, pre-conception, infertility, pregnancy, childbirth, gestational and perinatal losses, abortion, the postpartum period, breastfeeding and menopause.

Birth rates have been gradually declining in Europe for years, and Spain has one of the lowest in the world. At the same time, the consolidation of new family models and breakthroughs in assisted human reproduction have opened the doors to greater diversity in how motherhood is experienced. These factors are further compounded by changes in women’s sexual and reproductive healthcare and evolving reproductive rights.

In parallel, music, film, literature, theatre, and graphic fiction have all seen considerable increases in ‘mother-centric’ narratives over the last ten years (Bettaglio & Albarrán, 2021, p. 24), including numerous examples of autobiographical works that have been underrepresented in a fundamentally androcentric culture.

2. The representation of motherhood in popular culture

Because of its anthropological importance, motherhood has long been a wellspring of representations shaped by institutions such as religion, education and the media. In the West, two figures in particular have had an outsized influence on the current conception of motherhood: the Virgin Mary, venerated in Christian tradition as a suffering mother, a concept that has influenced the collective imaginary; and the ‘angel in the house’ archetype, which emerged in 19^th-century, English-speaking capitalist society as a pillar of the patriarchal structure (Visa-Barbosa & Crespo, 2015, p. 85). This idealized representation of motherhood, which has prevailed for centuries, has constructed a positive, third-party-mediated image of what it means to be a mother (Hays, 1996). However, despite the symbolic power of motherhood, the biological processes involved in reproduction have been absent from popular culture (Freixas, 2012). Not until the early 21^st century did women have the opportunity to recount their experiences first-hand, thanks to the emergence of new voices.

The female body has been represented in fiction from a symbolic perspective that has perpetuated the conservative ideology of a global binary imaginary that has associated women with, on the one hand, caregiving and the home (Nash, 2006) and, on the other, the archetype of the monstrous, castrating mother (Creed, 1993). In the early days of cinema, the pioneer Alice Guy stood out for her short films featuring mothers acting according to their own desires, such as Madame a des envies [Madame’s Cravings] (1906). However, soon enough the Hays Code (1934–1967) was implemented in the United States, under which the representation of reproductive processes on the silver screen was deemed inappropriate. During the Franco dictatorship (1939–1975), such content was similarly regulated in Spain through censorship boards and the iron-fisted control of the Catholic Church. Following these periods of censorship, pregnancy re-emerged as a plot device both in some comedy films, which explored bodily changes during pregnancy, and in science-fiction and horror films, which deployed the pregnant body as a reflection of the fears surrounding the then-novel artificial reproduction (Oliver 2012, p. 7). In the 1990s, ‘mom comedies’ popularized new imaginaries related to reproductive processes, incorporating assisted-reproduction technologies, diverse family models and evolving reproductive rights (Oliver, 2012). However, those works continued to portray motherhood as an inevitable destiny and included little diversity in terms of class, race or sexual orientation. Beginning in the 2010s, the digitalization and streaming of content led to an increase in audiovisual fiction dealing with reproductive processes (Hidalgo-Marí & Palomares-Sánchez, 2020; Visa-Barbosa, 2019). These works offer a realistic portrayal of motherhood, showing the challenges experienced at various stages and taking the current social context into account. They include television series such as Smilf (Shaw et al., 2017), The Letdown (Bell et al., 2017), Workin’ Moms (Reitman et al., 2017), Mira lo que has hecho [Look What You’ve Done] (Romero et al., 2018), Vergüenza [Spanish Shame] (Cavestany & Fernández, 2017), Vida perfecta [Perfect Life] (Dolera et al., 2019) and Això no és Suècia [This Is Not Sweden] (Clotet et al., 2023).

As for literature, the 20^th century produced few first-hand accounts by women offering narratives that challenged the hegemonic view of the ‘good mother’. The book Mother Reader (Davey, 2001) is a compilation of testimonials from artist mothers addressing a wide range of maternal feelings, from loss of control to altered emotional states or the refusal to shoulder responsibility for household cleaning and maintenance work. In the case of Spain, women have published literary essays and graphic novels in recent years chronicling their experiences of motherhood and focusing on a variety of processes. Examples include Nueve Lunas [Nine Moons] (Wiener, 2009), ¿Quién quiere ser madre? [Who Wants to Be a Mother] (Nanclares, 2017), Madre hay más que una [There’s More Than One Mother] (Villar, 2017) and Estimada desconeguda [Dear Stranger] (Bertran, 2023), as well as non-fiction comics such as Mamá (Vives, 2015), La Volátil. Mamma Mia! [The Volatile: Mamma Mia!] (Guerrero, 2015), Juntas en esto [In This Together] (Vázquez, 2019), No quiero ser mamá [I Don’t Want to Be a Mom] (Olmo, 2020), Madr¿eh? [Mother...huh?] (Lyona, 2021), ¿Materniyá? [Motherhood Already?] (Piedra, 2021) or Padrines. Crónica de maternitat i criança d’una generació silenciada [Godparents: Chronicle of Motherhood and Parenting of a Silenced Generation] (Visa-Barbosa et al., 2022).

In the field of photography, highlights include El nacimiento de mi hija [The Birth of My Daughter] (Álvarez Errecalde, 2005), a postpartum documentary self-portrait that challenges media and patriarchal representations of motherhood, and Kinderwunsch (Casas Broda, 2013), in which the author photographed herself raising her children, showcasing both ups and downs.

In cinema, nonfiction and experimental films have proved fertile ground for women directors in search of new ways of representing their interests and experiences (Pravadelli, 2014). In documentary film, some productions by women challenged the hegemonic image of motherhood, especially during the feminist waves. In the 1960s, several women filmmakers documented everyday life from a subversive perspective. The rejection of the domestic space, everyday rituals and realistic depictions of the female body are recurring themes in the work of Belgian director Chantal Akerman, as well as in films such as Schmeerguntz (Nelson, 1965), about one woman filmmaker’s pregnancy, or Sedmikrásky [Daisies] (Chytilová, 1966), featuring two women who act freely, without conforming to assigned roles. Similarly, filmmakers such as Agnés Varda (L’Opera-Mouffe [Diary of a Pregnant Woman], 1958) explored the everyday experience of pregnancy, along the same lines later followed by contemporary directors such as Naomi Kawase in her film diaries.

In focusing on the documentary genre, this paper draws a clear distinction between documentary films and the specific nonfiction subgenre of reportage, which has more journalistic roots. The criteria for differentiating between them have been established for decades, with documentaries exploring broader and deeper themes, often from a subjective or artistic perspective; using more elaborate and creative narrative techniques; involving a more extensive research process; and displaying a more cinematic aesthetic, including the use of artistic or symbolic images, creative editing and the exploration of various visual techniques (Barnouw, 1974; Cebrián, 1992; Chávez, 2021; Torres Hortelano, 2024).

In recent years, the representation of motherhood in contemporary documentary film, both in Spain and abroad, has received growing academic attention. Analyses have drawn on feminist, autobiographical and performative film approaches, which has granted greater visibility to filmmakers exploring motherhood from personal and critical perspectives.

In Stories My Mother Never Told Me, Luciano and Scarparo (2019) examine how autobiographical documentaries by Alina Marazzi, Margot Nash and Sarah Polley explore mother-daughter relationships through archival footage and interviews, challenging ‘patriarchal narratives’ and proposing genuine representations of motherhood. In The Maternal Imagination of Film and Film Theory, Bliss (2020) criticizes traditional theories of the ‘male gaze’ and stresses the importance of female subjectivity in film. Riggs et al. (2020) criticize the normative view of motherly love in Louis Theroux’s documentary Mothers on the Edge (BBC, 2019), arguing that it perpetuates unrealistic expectations about motherhood. In their analysis of La casa de mi padre [My Father’s House] (2014) and Mater Amatísima (2018), Quílez and Araüna (2021) highlight how these works use first-person narratives to question gender inequalities and promote critical thinking about motherhood. In Mothers of Invention, Mayer and Columpar (2022) approach the representation of motherhood in film from the perspective of creation and consumption, suggesting that women filmmakers’ personal experiences enrich this representation. Aimaretti (2022) analyses the documentary Parir [Giving Birth] (Reig, 2023) as a space for political dispute, whilst Meléndez Táboas (2022) and Hillman (2023) show how autobiographical documentaries challenge idealizations of motherhood and document real experiences.

The shift in how motherhood is represented has been attributed to the rise of new women directors offering more critical and diverse perspectives (Jasanda, 2023). Pribiag (2023) highlights the role of Indigenous film in the representation of motherhood as cultural resistance, whilst Fonoll Tassier (2024) proposes a reshaping of the maternal gaze from a feminist perspective.

3. Objectives and hypotheses

The main objectives of this paper are to catalogue contemporary audiovisual documentaries about motherhood and to analyse the main thematic trends identified in them with a view to observing whether they help open new spaces for questioning and redefining traditional representations of reproductive processes. Secondarily, it aims to identify the formal elements of these works, such as the use of first-person narratives or mise-en-scène.

The initial hypotheses are as follows:

(1) We are currently witnessing the emergence of documentary narratives that address issues related to motherhood hitherto largely kept offscreen, such as obstetric violence, abortion, postpartum depression or non-normative forms of motherhood (migrant mothers, single mothers, LGBTQI+ mothers, women who choose not to be mothers, women who want to be mothers but cannot, etc.), in a spirit of activism and the desire to effect change.

(2) These documentary accounts are constructed in the first person, based on the authors’ real-life experiences.

(3) These films foreground mothers, whilst bringing key figures in the reproductive care process, such as midwives and doulas, into sharper focus.¹

4. Methodology

A systematic search method was used to select the sample of documentary films to be analysed. Specifically, keywords related to reproduction (Motherhood; Menstruation; Pregnancy; Infertility; Childbirth; Abortion; Breastfeeding; Postpartum; Assisted Reproduction; and Menopause) were used to search streaming services available in Spain with catalogues including Spanish productions (Movistar Plus+, Netflix, Prime Video, Filmin, HBO, Disney+). The digital platforms of the main Spanish national and regional television broadcasters (Playz-RTVE, Atresplayer, Mitele, À Punt) were also searched. The search was followed by a reading of the synopses of the preselected documentaries. Documentary works created in Spain in the last decade narrating processes linked to the reproductive body were considered.

A preliminary corpus was created consisting of the following works: Partos naturales [Natural Births] (ID01), Loba [She-Wolf] (ID02), Madres invisibles [Invisible Mothers] (ID03), [m]otherhood (ID04), Donde el viento nos lleve [Where the Wind Takes Us] (ID05), A media voz [In a Whisper] (ID06), Las buenas compañías [In the Company of Women] (ID07), Hablemos, hermana [Let’s Talk, Sister] (ID08), Aztarnak–Huellas [Imprints] (ID09) and Contigo, contigo, y sin mí [With You, With You and Without Me] (ID10).

Once this list of works meeting the search criteria had been compiled, it was submitted to the DOCMA Documentary Film Association to be further expanded with other relevant films that they might know. Although they suggested several titles, they were ultimately left out of the corpus for various reasons. Five were not available on open-access platforms: Parir [Giving Birth] (ID011_EX), Madre no hay más que una [You Only Have One Mother] (ID012_EX), Tiempos de deseo [Times of Desire] (ID013_EX), Mater amatísima (ID014_EX) and Lo que no fue [What Never Was] (ID015_EX). Two, due to their length or format, belonged to the category of audiovisual reportage: Tetas y tetinas [Breasts and Bottles] (ID016_EX) and Las caras de la maternidad [The Faces of Motherhood] (ID017_EX). Finally, two others focused on motherhood more broadly, without addressing reproductive processes: ¿Qué coño está pasando? [What the F* Is Going On?] (ID018_EX) and Ana y yo [Ana and I] (ID019_EX).

In a first phase, a quantitative analysis was performed on the final sample to catalogue production-related aspects, including: title, year of release, director, screenwriter, synopsis, subject matter, main processes depicted, duration, streaming platform, box office receipts and awards.

Next, a qualitative textual analysis was conducted applying the close-reading content-analysis technique. This method is widely used in cultural studies in the context of contemporary popular culture (Brummet, 2019; Castelló, 2008) and, in particular, the analysis of fiction series and films (Araüna et al., 2018; Fedele & Masanet, 2021; Masanet & Fedele, 2022). Although close reading originated as a literary methodology, it was incorporated into cultural studies by figures such as Williams (1958) and Hall (1973), whose approaches combine detailed textual interpretation with the analysis of broader social structures. According to Castelló (2008), ‘it is basically an interpretive and critical approach to representations, a story’s realism and the media product as art’ (p. 209). Close reading allows for a detailed, in-depth examination of text and images, thereby facilitating the identification of patterns, themes, and underlying meanings in cultural content, whilst also helping to contextualize that content within its cultural, historical and social setting. To this end, the present study analyses the films following the design by Buonanno (1996) and Fiske and Hartley (1978), focusing on five areas of observation, as summarized in Table 1 below:

This model makes it possible to include the importance of specific formal and content-related elements of the audiovisual text (i.e. of both the filmmaking and the story) in the analysis of the works, as well as consider the content and meanings that the works propose, taking into account the importance of the historical and production context. Close reading thus entails a critical and comprehensive interpretation of the text, considering it as a ‘work of art’. This means giving attention to its aesthetic values (González Requena, 2000; Castelló, 2008) and, above all, considering the audiovisual text a place of experience, something that cannot be articulated solely as meaning or a communicative process.

5. Results

5.1. Cataloguing of the documentary films

As shown in table 2, the analysed documentaries are distributed proportionally over the decade spanning from 2013 to 2023, evidencing no significant changes in production during this period. Most of the documentaries (eight) were directed by women, whilst only three were directed by men. The main distribution platform is Filmin, except for [m]otherhood, which is available on the website of the regional television broadcaster À Punt. As for duration, six are short films lasting less than half an hour.

The term ‘mother’ appears in the title of only one of the analysed films, whilst the term ‘motherhood’ appears in one other. The rest of the titles use varied terminology, with the concept of ‘dialogue with others’ being present in works such as A media voz, Las buenas compañías, Hablemos, hermana and Contigo, contigo y sin mí. Only one title, Partos naturales, directly mentions a biological process linked to motherhood.

Three of the films had theatrical releases: Loba, Aztarnak–Huellas and Contigo, contigo, y sin mí. Of these, Loba had the highest box office receipts, although they totalled less than 5,000 euros. Three of the films won Best Documentary awards at different festivals: Hablemos, hermana (Impact Docs Awards), Donde nos lleve el viento (Medina del Campo Film Week) and A media voz (Memorimage Film Festival in Reus, IDFA, Havana Film Festival). This latter film also won awards for Best Iberian-American Film (Cine Ceará in Brazil) and Best Director (Malaga Film Festival).

5.2. Analysis of the films

Partos Naturales (Bertrán & Cañigueral, 2013) [ID01]

This documentary examines the practice of home birth as an alternative to the hospital model. The focus is on the mother’s body and wishes, highlighting the importance of the pregnant woman as the protagonist of the story. By juxtaposing the voices of midwives and doulas, advocates of humanized childbirth, with the institutional discourse of gynaecologists and obstetricians, the film constructs a debate on the different conceptions of childbirth and women’s role in the process. The inclusion of a European comparison broadens the context of the discussion, with the aim of demystifying home birth and dispelling the connotations of danger and fear often associated with it in our healthcare culture. Santa Caterina Hospital in Girona stands out as a clear example within this framework.

The film’s austere aesthetic, characterized by the use of a single camera, journalistic-style editing and live sound without music, reinforces its testimonial nature and aim of documenting reality. The visual treatment of the intimacy of the women in labour, through the use of pixelation, suggests an intention to protect and respect their privacy, rather than censorship. The choice of locations to conduct the interviews is significant: domestic or outdoor settings for midwives and doulas versus institutional offices for the physicians, underscoring the dichotomy between the humanized and medicalized approaches. Ultimately, the film delivers a critique of the medicalization of childbirth, exposing obstetric violence as an endemic problem in Spanish healthcare at the time of its release, in 2013.

Loba (Béchard, 2015) [ID02]

This film is a plea on behalf of physiological childbirth, articulated through the voices of mothers and the midwives who support them. Loba focuses on the emotional impact of obstetric violence, shining a spotlight on the psychological scars left by unwanted medical procedures. By prioritizing subjective experience over scientific discourse, it seeks to give voice to women and asserts their right to a respectful and natural birth. Although its aim of denouncing violent obstetric practices is understandable, this approach opens a debate about the line between advocating for natural childbirth and its possible idealization.

The film’s traditional craftsmanship shares some similarities with other productions, such as Partos naturales, including the use of austere resources, such as a single camera, live sound and a soundtrack that accompanies and adds emphasis to the testimonies. This aesthetic choice reinforces the intimacy of the account. The documentary presents midwives as the guardians of ancestral knowledge, in contrast to the systematic medicalization of childbirth, which, according to the film, reflects a patriarchal logic. However, whilst this perspective’s criticism of the hegemonic medical system is understandable, it can lead to a certain essentialization of motherhood, reducing natural childbirth to a purely biological dimension and neglecting other factors that influence the experience of giving birth.

Madres invisibles (Benítez, 2016) [ID03]

This medium-length documentary offers a portrait of the reality faced by single mothers in Morocco through the story of Hafida, a woman rejected by her family after getting pregnant. Years later, having become a reproductive and sexual health educator, she returns to her hometown with her son. The film interweaves her story with other testimonies from women facing discrimination and societal ostracism, which drives them to seek support and friendship from each other.

The film uses a social realist style, with naturalistic photography and fluid editing to capture the mother’s everyday reality. Its geography is particularly eloquent: domestic and community spaces emerge as true sanctuaries in contrast to the hostility of the outside world, especially in the workplace. In this context, women’s associations emerge as an alternative space, to support and empower these mothers, where the availability of daycare services facilitates not only childcare, but also the social reintegration of these stigmatized mothers, offering them an opportunity to rebuild their lives.

[m]otherhood (García Andreu & Peris Mestre, 2018) [ID04]

This documentary explores non-motherhood as a legitimate life choice, challenging the idealization of motherhood as women’s ineludible destiny. Combining personal testimonies and analyses by experts in sociology and feminism, the documentary examines the multiple social pressures brought to bear on the decision of whether or not to become a mother. It examines the myth of the maternal instinct, the role of traditional institutions in perpetuating this ideal, and the consequences for women who decide not to conform to it. In this sense, the film is thus a defence of women’s right to freely choose when it comes to their own bodies and life plans.

The visual narrative of [m]otherhood switches between candid scenes and intimate interventions in domestic settings, constructing a portrait that systematically debunks the myths surrounding motherhood. This narrative strategy enables a deep connection with the personal experiences of the women who bear witness, whilst at the same time providing a theoretical framework for understanding the social dynamics at work around motherhood. Although [m]otherhood staunchly defends the validity of the choice not to become a mother, this radical approach may hinder dialogue by failing to consider other possible ways of experiencing motherhood and, thus, polarizing the debate.

Donde el viento nos lleve (Moreno Amador, 2019) [ID05]

This short film narrates the experience of motherhood in the context of forced migration. Through the figure of Mariam, it follows several pregnant migrant women seeking a better future whilst embarking on a journey fraught with existential dangers. The film eschews reportage in favour of an epistolary structure: Mariam’s voiceover, a letter to her son that invites the viewer to share her experience.

The spaces Mariam travels through – impersonal institutional buildings, anonymous seascapes – reinforce her condition as a nomad with no place to call her own. The title evokes uncertainty and a lack of control over her destiny. The wind and sea, accomplices in the tragedy of migration, emerge as poetic symbols of the uncontrollable forces that govern migrants’ lives. Ultimately, Donde el viento nos lleve is a critique of the dehumanization intrinsic to certain European migration policies and a defence of the dignity of pregnant migrant women as subjects of rights. The narrative draws on the ‘Mother Courage’ archetype of the anonymous heroine struggling against adversity, whose tragic dimension is underscored by the final news of the father’s death.

A media voz (Hassan & Pérez Fernández, 2019) [ID06]

This documentary shows the experience of female migration from an intimate, personal perspective. In the form of audiovisual correspondence, two Cuban women explain the challenges they face finding work in Europe, their romantic relationships and their experiences with motherhood through everyday images they have recorded themselves.

The intimate filmmaking style, which uses everyday recordings and subjective shots, amplifies the story’s emotional impact, transforming a personal experience into a reflection of broader social issues. Like a personal diary, the film documents the protagonists’ experiences and moods. After not being able to become a mother naturally, one of the authors describes her assisted-reproduction treatment: the injections to stimulate her ovaries, the extraction of mature eggs and the wait, although the process was ultimately unsuccessful.

The film thus depicts a situation specific to the protagonists, but also relatable for many women, whose access to motherhood is conditioned by factors such as age or economic insecurity.

Las buenas compañías (Casal & Gaztelumendi, 2020) [ID07]

This short documentary, linked to the film of the same name (Las buenas compañías [In the Company of Women], Munt, 2023), features the testimonies of women who had or helped others have abortions in the Basque Country in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It plucks from oblivion the voices of women who, in defiance of the then-prevailing illegality, sought or facilitated abortions, building underground support networks.

Through an expository structure that combines interviews with testimonies and archival images of pro-abortion demonstrations from the time, Las buenas compañías reconstructs a period of history shrouded in secrecy and risk, showing the importance of support networks and emphasizing the crucial role of sorority as a mechanism of resistance and mutual support. These networks had received little attention until now, and the film makes specific reference to the group Memorandra-Errenteriako Memoria Feminista, dedicated to researching and recovering the imprints of feminism on social transformations.

Hablemos, hermana (de Coca, 2021) [ID08]

This documentary offers a window onto daily life in the postpartum period through a conversation between the author and her sister, a new mother. More than a mere description of caregiving routines, the documentary explores the profound physical and emotional transformations women experience after childbirth. The conversation between the sisters becomes a safe space for addressing issues often swept under the rug, such as obstetric violence and postpartum depression, offering an honest, unvarnished look at this stage of life. The documentary questions expectations about this stage and underscores the importance of community support networks and professionals.

The mise-en-scène reinforces the story’s personal and thoughtful atmosphere. The inclusion of close-ups of everyday objects and domestic scenes, coupled with old family footage and the use of superimposed phrases, helps to create an immersive experience for the viewer.

Aztarnak–Huellas (Solores, 2021) [ID09]

This documentary arose from the director’s personal experience as a mother and her interest in parenting and early child development. Through a blend of family testimonies and expert voices, it tackles complex topics, such as breastfeeding, attachment and work-life balance. The film asks whether ‘the seed of happiness is sown in childhood’ and explores how our earliest experiences, even those we do not consciously remember, leave a deep imprint on our development.

The aesthetic is naturalistic, with wide shots of Basque landscapes that enter into a dialogue with the families’ experiences, weaving a symbolic connection between the natural environment and the emotional universe of motherhood. This connection evokes the idea of a life cycle found in both nature and human life. The soundtrack helps to create a warm, enveloping atmosphere conducive to reflection and contemplation. The director uses two versions of the documentary, one in Spanish and the other in Basque (her native language), with her own voiceover, which adds a layer of intimacy and authenticity to the story. Aztarnak–Huellas offers a poetic and emotional view of the experience of motherhood, reflecting on the importance of parenting in early childhood with the aim of promoting more conscious and affectionate motherhood.

Contigo, contigo, y sin mí (Villar Navascués, 2023) [ID10]

This documentary follows the emotional journey of the author, who, around 35 years old and with no stable partner, reflects on her desire to become a mother. She reviews her four most significant relationships in chronological order, wondering whether her former partners could have been the fathers of her children.

The mise-en-scène is backed by editing, the author’s main line of work. Using home recordings from her personal archive, she revisits lived situations, sometimes combining them with animated segments to protect the identity of certain characters. Images are paused, rewound and fast-forwarded to analyse decisions the author has taken over the years.

Unintended non-motherhood is the pretext through which she reviews the romantic relationships she has had throughout her life. At first, she feels guilty for not having formed a traditional family, but as the documentary progresses, she examines the pressure exerted on women by the ideal of romantic love present in our culture.

6. Discussion of results

The analysed documents address several themes related to motherhood, offering plural and alternative representations of reproductive processes.

The themes addressed include abortion (Las buenas compañías [ID07]); the choice not to become a mother ([m]otherhood [ID04]); late motherhood (evoking so-called ‘geriatric motherhood’) and the associated fertility issues (A media voz [ID06], Contigo, contigo y sin mí [ID10]); and the need to raise awareness of the postpartum period (Hablemos, hermana [ID08]). Whilst these stories are combined with models of respectful parenting (Aztarnak–Huellas [ID09]), it is no longer the sole central discourse. Different ways of including fathers in parenting are also shown ([m]otherhood [ID04], Aztarnak–Huellas [ID09]).

The films thus shine a spotlight on the issues mothers face due to the breakdown of traditional imaginaries, such as social and cultural pressure to live up to the ideals of traditional motherhood, which can give rise to feelings of guilt, anxiety and self-imposed demands on mothers who do not conform to these pre-established models. These accounts question the traditional representation of idealized motherhood (Hays, 1996) that was prevalent throughout the 20^th century but has begun to splinter in the last decade in fiction productions distributed through streaming platforms, literary essays and graphic novels (Visa-Barbosa, 2019; Bettaglio, 2018).

At the same time, in the analysed films, the pregnant person emerges as the absolute protagonist of the story. There are first-person accounts from mothers (Madres invisibles [ID03]; Donde el viento nos lleve [ID05]) in vulnerable situations and of motherhood experienced in complex contexts (social exclusion, gender-based violence, obstetric violence, etc.).

There is also a significant defence of natural childbirth as an alternative to medicalized childbirth, which can be seen in Partos naturales [ID01] and Loba [ID02]. These films afford midwives a prominent role, whilst elevating doulas, depicting them as the modern-day heiresses of the ancient practice of midwifery, with its matriarchal roots, as opposed to secondary figures in the patriarchal context of modern medicine, which prioritizes gynaecologists and obstetricians. This emergence of first-person female voices is in line with the renewed value given to personal narratives, often absent from popular discourse due to their representation through institutional mediators (Freixas, 2012).

As for the formal elements used in the analysed documentaries, the mise-en-scène prioritizes a realistic aesthetic and the creation of spaces appropriate for a narrative under construction or yet to be constructed.

The use of first-person accounts is key to addressing both collective and individual life stories, as in the case of the ‘Mother Courage’ figure (Donde el viento nos lleve [ID05]), to shed light on social conflicts (Madres invisibles [ID03]) or structural issues (Partos naturales [ID01]). Thus, interior monologues, correspondence, conversations between mothers, and first-hand accounts emerge as the main source of information.

Separately, the home is reframed as a space for healing and privacy. Beyond its classic codification in the imaginary of the mother and homemaker as ‘angel in the house’ (Nash, 2006), and transcending its more capitalistic significance, the home emerges as a fundamental space for experiencing motherhood first-hand and for respectful childbirth. In this regard, the bedroom or bed become intimate settings, representing the human as an alternative to the institutional, which includes hospitals, medical institutions and delivery rooms. In those documentaries that explore vulnerable forms of motherhood and homeless pregnant women, the importance of the home is conspicuous by its absence (Donde el viento nos lleve [ID05]; Madres invisibles [ID03]).

The main messages emerging from the critical interpretation of the films pose new debates about motherhood, highlighting the conflicts arising from the confrontation between its traditional conception and how it is experienced in the current context, including the choice not to be a mother, late motherhood due to the challenge of achieving job stability before the age of 40, and alternatives to conventional childbirth. The films also denounce obstetric violence as a social and structural problem, approaching it from an intersectional perspective that points to race and class conditions that aggravate this violence in the case of undocumented migrant mothers (Donde el viento nos lleve [ID05]) or single mothers living under political regimes that penalize extramarital sex (Madres invisibles [ID03]).

Separately, a possible trend towards essentialism can be seen in the advocacy of alternative and natural childbirth, in which the pregnant body is viewed as akin to nature, blurring the line between a progressive discourse that empowers women and an essentialist one that equates them with a natural instinct (Loba [ID02], Arzak–Huellas [ID09]). Furthermore, the use of stereotypes such as ideal motherhood or the indomitable ‘Mother Courage’ archetype capable of overcoming all manner of tragedies (Donde el viento nos lleve [ID05]) suggests a connection with more traditional stereotypes.

7. Conclusions

This research aimed to catalogue discourses about motherhood in contemporary Spanish documentary film and describe the reproductive themes and processes represented in it.

With regard to the first hypothesis, the results confirmed the emergence of narratives addressing controversial or marginalized themes surrounding motherhood such as obstetric violence, abortion, postpartum depression and different forms of non-normative motherhood, including migrant mothers, women who choose not to be mothers, women who want to be mothers but cannot, and single mothers. However, the analysed sample did not include the presence of LGBTQI+ mothers or forms of motherhood experienced outside the nuclear family structure other than single parenthood.

As for the second hypothesis, regarding the construction of first-person narratives, five of the works are autobiographical accounts, whilst the others feature direct testimonies by the protagonists. A trend towards intimacy and including women’s own voices to narrate their experiences surrounding motherhood was thus confirmed.

With regard to the third hypothesis, the results similarly confirmed a trend towards spotlighting personal experiences and the support of figures such as midwives and doulas, emphasizing sorority amongst women. The use of first-person female voices reflects a growing appreciation of personal accounts as a way of challenging the historical invisibility imposed by dominant and institutionalized discourses.

The rise of these discourses must be contextualized within the current system for audiovisual dissemination, as most of these documentaries are only available on the Filmin streaming platform. The social impact of these discourses is thus limited and co-exists alongside the messages of both more mainstream works targeted at other audiences (Madre no hay más que una, 2022) and more progressive documentaries that have not had a commercial run in traditional media (Mater amatísima, 2017; Lo que no fue, 2022; Tiempos de deseo, 2020).

In conclusion, these documentaries reflect the emergence of themes linked to issues of motherhood, which are increasingly present in public debate. Their proliferation in contemporary Spanish documentary film is multifaceted, addressing a wide range of tensions inherent to the maternal experience through a diversity of approaches and forms of representation, but generally outside of mainstream circles.

Author contributions

Mariona Visa-Barbosa: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Software, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. Margarita Carnicé: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Resources, Software, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. Lorenzo J. Torres: Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Resources, Software, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. All authors have read and accepted the published version of the manuscript.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Finding sources

This publication is the product of the research of the R&D&I Project Maternidades en pantalla. Representación del proceso reproductivo en la ficción española contemporánea (MaterScreen) (PID2022-137338OA-I00), Programa estatal de Generación del Conocimiento 2022, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MCIN) del Gobierno de España.

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Corpus of analysis

Béchard, Catherine (Directora). (2015). Loba [Documental]. Producción independiente. [ID02]

Benítez, Lorenzo (Director). (2016). Madres invisibles [Documental]. Producción independiente. [ID03]

Bertrán, Esther; & Cañigueral, Anna (Directoras). (2013). Partos naturales [Documental]. Filmin. [ID01]

Casal, Nuria; & Gaztelumendi, Bertha (Directoras). (2020). Las buenas compañías [Documental]. Lamia Producciones / Irusoin. [ID07]

De Coca, Cecilia (Directora). (2021). Hablemos, hermana [Documental]. Producción independiente. [ID08]

Fidalgo, Noemí. (Directora). (2020). Tetas y tetinas [Film]. CIMA Producciones. [ID16_EX]

García Andreu, Laura; & Peris Mestre, Inés (Directoras). (2018). [m]otherhood [Documental]. Producción independiente. [ID04]

García Colomer, Jesús. (Director). (2022). Madre no hay más que una [Film]. [ID11_EX]

Hassan, Heidi; & Pérez Fernández, Patricia (Directoras). (2019). A media voz [Documental]. Producciones de la 5ta Avenida / Les Films de l’Après-Midi. [ID06]

Jaenes, Marta; & Márquez, Rosa. (Directoras). (2019). ¿Qué coño está pasando? [Documental]. Pokeepsie Films; Netflix. [ID18_EX]

Marqués, Raquel. (Directora). (2020). Tiempos de deseo [Cortometraje]. [ID13_EX]

Moreno Amador, Juan Antonio (Director). (2019). Donde el viento nos lleve [Documental]. Womack Films. [ID05]

Reig, Claudia. (Directora). (2023). Parir [Film]. Barrer Films. [ID11_EX]

Requena, Pilar. (Directora). (2023). Las caras de la maternidad [Film]. Inés González Producciones. [ID17_EX]

Ruesga, Sandra. (Directora). (2022). Lo que no fue [Cortometraje]. [ID15_EX]

Ruido, María. (Directora). (2017). Mater amatísima [Cortometraje]. [ID14_EX]

Ruiz, Primavera. (Directora). (2013). Ana y yo [Documental]. Prima & Vera Productions. [ID19_EX]

Solores, Maru (Directora). (2021). Aztarnak–Huellas [Documental]. Txintxua Films. [ID09]

Villar Navascués, Amaya (Directora). (2023). Contigo, contigo y sin mí [Documental]. Producción independiente. [ID10]

Notes

1 A doula is a professional who provides emotional, physical and educational support to women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. Doulas do not perform medical tasks, but rather supplement the medical care provided by health professionals. See: Doula - Wikipedia: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doula