Motherland

Jennifer Steinman’s debut documentary, Motherland, explores the timeless subject of grief and healing in an experiential film about mothers who have lost children.

When six women from the US—all of whom have experienced the loss of a child—travel together to volunteer with children in need in South Africa, they find an opportunity to experience their pain as a part of a community. In South Africa, where the AIDS epidemic leaves no one without a story of loss, the mothers learn how solidarity and shared suffering promote healing and grace. While Steinman’s film focuses specifically on the grieving processes of these six women, its lessons about grief are universal—connecting with sensitivity and understanding to the hearts and minds of anyone who has ever experienced loss.