I Thank My Mother for My Hair

Directed by
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After growing up in foster care, a daughter forges a new relationship with her mum

This beautiful and powerful short tells the story of Alexis and Natasha, a daughter and mother at a pivotal moment in their relationship. Alexis is an 18-year-old aspiring dancer. When she was a child, Alexis was placed in the foster care system and currently lives with her grandmother in London. Having reached adulthood, she’s forging a new path forward with her mother, Natasha, who lives in council housing in Ashford, Kent.

Directed by Anna Dobos and Susie Peng from Somewhere Films, the experimental doc captures them as they heal old wounds and look to move into a new house together, hoping to make up for lost time. As the film plays out, Alexis and Natasha speak about what they have to thank each other for.

Directors’ quote “It was our friendship with Alexis that sparked this project; both of us as directors resonated with the complicated relationships she is navigating between her family and growing independence. All three of us felt that incorporating this personal storyline into an experimental dance film/documentary would be something special. We met and got to know her mother, Natasha, and are so privileged to have been given the trust and vulnerability you see on the screen. Prior to filming, we gave them a set of questions to ask each other, for which we filmed the audio but not the video. This exercise in itself was very intense and therapeutic for everyone involved. Although the situation between Alexis and her mother is somewhat unique, we know there are elements of it that will ring true for so many, the way it has with us.”

CREDITS

Starring @thatsjustalxis + Natasha Lovell
Director @susiepengeisha + @annadobos
Creative Direction @thatsjustalexis
Production @somewherefilms
D.O.P + Edit @annadobos
Sound Design by Martina Carluccio @ Focal Rhythm Production
Score by Charlie Cristiani