EXCLUSIVE: Kathryn Ferguson, director of Sineád O’Connor documentary Nothing Compares, has set her next project, titled Matrescence.
With producers Rosie Crerar of barry crerar and Eleanor Emptage, co-founder with Ferguson of Tara Films, Ferguson has optioned Lucy Jones’ 2023 non-fiction book Matrescence – on the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood. The feature is in development, with Screen Scotland support.
Jones’ book explores the transition into motherhood, including how it affects the brain and body.
The filmmakers describe their Matrescence film as “a genre-defying, cinematic documentary that explores the transformative journey of motherhood. With powerful visual storytelling, the film will interweave the rigorous scientific research and poetry of Lucy’s writing, with personal stories from a diverse range of contributors to offer a radical and profound examination of maternal metamorphosis.
“Ultimately the feature aims to spark conversation around the way contemporary Western society treats its mothers, with a view to offer solutions and create lasting change.”
The production will participate in Sheffield Doc/Fest’s MeetMarket next month.
“Since becoming a mother myself five years ago it’s been fairly impossible to put the experience into words. Lucy managed to do this in the most remarkable way,” said Ferguson, who hopes the film will “strip away the veil of motherhood and focus in on the radical science behind this transition, the systemic failings in mother care and the cosmic alchemy that occurs when life is formed.”
“I first read Matrescence by Lucy Jones when I was 8 months post-partum with my 2nd child,” said Crerar. “My personal experience of motherhood has been politicising but until I read Matrescence I felt without the currency, or the means to articulate. Matrescence promises to be an urgent, poetic film that seeks to challenge, provoke and, ultimately, affect change.”
“I loved the radical vision for the adaptation immediately and deeply admire both barry crerar and Tara Films’ ability to create stunning and thought-provoking films with a socio-political punch,” said Jones.
Crerar was named a Screen International Rising Star Scotland in 2022, with her barry Crerar co-founder Ciara Barry.
Ferguson’s 2022 documentary Nothing Compares debuted at Sundance, and won two Bifas for best feature documentary and best debut director – feature documentary, as well as best Irish feature documentary at Galway Film Fleadh.
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