Mother Vera is an award-winning documentary by Cécile Embleton and Alys Tomlinson that enthrallingly reveals the life of a nun in Belarusia, both pre- and post-convent.
A Nun's Story
by Alexa DalbyMother Vera
[rating=3]
CAUTION: Here be spoilers
This documentary is a beautiful, atmospheric monochrome portrait of Mother Vera, a nun in a Belarusian convent in the freezing winter snow: later it breaks cautiously and symbolically into colour. Mother Vera seeks redemption by working with ex-prisoners (male) who are still addicts.
We are gradually fed snippets of information in her own words about her pre-convent life, how she came to be a nun and the reasons for her history of self-loathing and the voluntary privations of the convent and religious life. Her love for horses survives it all and may be how she finds herself and reveals her real name.
Mother Vera is the first feature-length documentary directed by Cécile Embleton and Alys Tomlinson. The enthralling sound design, which tells the story so well, is by Leonardo Cauteruccio. The filmmakers thank Mother Vera and her family for sharing this very personal story.
Mother Vera is supported by the Sundance Institute and won second prize at the Hotdocs Forum 2021 and first prize at Locarno First Look 2023. Produced by Laura Shacham from She Makes Productions and represented for festivals by InDox. It screened (UK debut) at the BFI LFF 2024 on 13 and 16 October 2024 in the Grierson Documentary Competition.
