The Mother Wound

The Mother Wound is an intimate documentary series following Athena, a 44 year old filmmaker on a profound journey of IVF and pregnancy. Unveiling her complex relationship with motherhood, the film explores deep-seated fears shaped by a painful childhood marked by her mother’s struggles with mental illness. Confronting her own mental health challenges, she must face her legacy of trauma and a deep distrust of the medical system, ultimately discovering hope and resilience as she navigates her own path to healing and becoming a mother.

The Mother Wound, is a four-part documentary series created by wife-and-husband team Athena Gam and Eric Lake, chronicling their deeply personal journey to have their first child. Shot over the past year, the series combines RED footage with intimate iPhone footage journaling Athena’s experiences with IVF and pregnancy, painting a raw and emotional picture.

Each episode explores personal, emotional, physical, and societal challenges Athena faces, offering an unfiltered look at one woman’s struggles with fertility. This docu series captures the highs and lows of a winding path to motherhood, creating a heartfelt exploration of loss, hope, and resilience.

Edited in ultra HD. Please note that this is a work in progress cut, and does not include post production, color correct, music, and a compliance pass.

Episodes

Episode 1

In the first episode of The Mother Wound, Athena shares her deeply personal and emotional journey toward becoming a mother. The episode captures moments of vulnerability as she navigates the fear and anxiety of IVF treatments, potential miscarriage, and emotional struggles about pregnancy.

Athena reflects on her 15 years spent trying to conceive and adopt, facing multiple surgeries, and battling the trauma of both medical interventions and experiences of loss surrounding motherhood. As she unravels the emotional weight of past decisions and current experiences, she questions the possibility of motherhood even more.

Throughout the episode, Athena prepares for an embryo implantation, juggling therapy, painful injections, and her overwhelming fear of failure. As she undergoes testing to confirm pregnancy following the procedure, Athena’s hope cautiously grows. When revealing her early pregnancy with her mother receives a lackluster response, Athena spirals. Delving into her complex relationship with her mother, Athena unearths the generational trauma that has impeded her journey to motherhood.

The intimate, raw footage, capturing personal day to day accounts and situations, paints a poignant picture of a woman caught between hope and fear, as she embarks on the final steps of her long pursuit to become a mother.

To continue watching the rest of the episodes of The Mother Wound, please contact Eric Lake.

[email protected] or 310.694.1722

Episode 2

In Episode 2 of The Mother Wound, Athena continues to document her pregnancy journey, reflecting on the physical and emotional complexities of carrying her baby through IVF. She expresses both excitement and fear as she approaches her next ultrasound, constantly worried about potential complications due to her past experiences with miscarriage scares and her history of endometriosis. Athena’s internal dialogue reveals her deep-seated anxiety and uncertainty, as she struggles to balance hope and the fear of loss.

After a visit to the ER following a scare, Athena is diagnosed with a threatened miscarriage and a subchorionic hematoma, further intensifying her fears about the viability of the pregnancy. The episode highlights how little control she feels in the process, as each new medical update sends her emotions spiraling between hope and dread.

Athena also reflects on her past, discussing the impact of her mother’s undiagnosed mental health issues, particularly borderline personality disorder, on her own approach to motherhood. She opens up about her childhood fears of becoming like her mother, worried that she might not be capable of being a good parent.

Through recounting the trauma and instability of her upbringing, Athena reveals the deep emotional work she’s had to undertake to prepare herself for motherhood. Episode 2 delves into her exploration of traditional birthing practices, her desire to reclaim ancestral knowledge, and her excitement at finding a midwife and doula who aligns with her values, even as she grapples with the realities of her high-risk pregnancy.

Episode 3

This episode illustrates the depth of Athena’s personal and familial challenges as she navigates the final stages of her pregnancy. Athena strives to confront the emotional complexities of her strained relationship with her mother as it has become a growing source of frustration.

During an interview, Athena’s mother recalls Athena’s childhood as a happy and ideal time, entirely erasing the emotional pain, neglect, and even abuse that Athena experienced. This revision of their shared history deeply angers Athena, who remembers her upbringing as filled with criticism, emotional manipulation, and the burden of being held responsible for her mother’s mental state. Athena’s struggle with her mother’s narrative leaves her feeling invalidated, as she continues to seek an honest conversation about the challenges of motherhood—one her mother seems unwilling or unable to have.

Amid these tensions, Athena’s mother reveals another shocking piece of information: she was diagnosed with cervical cancer during the same period that Athena was grappling with endometriosis, but never told her about it. This revelation sends Athena spiraling emotionally, as she feels the weight of her mother’s neglect in addition to the stress of her own pregnancy.

Despite this, Athena finds strength to focus on her upcoming birth, pulling herself together and preparing mentally and emotionally for the arrival of her baby.

Episode 4

In the final stages of pregnancy, Athena captures the intense, raw emotions, fears, and physical challenges of childbirth. In the time leading up to her labor, Athena reconciles with the painful reality that neither her mother or any other biological family will be visiting her in person once she gives birth to her child.

When Athena experiences the intermittent contractions of early labor, she tries to balance the excitement of impending motherhood with the exhaustion of the moment. After laboring at home for a day, Athena moves to the hospital. Athena interacts with her doula, best friend and husband, who lend support and help her to emotionally and physically prepare as she gears up for the marathon of active labor and childbirth.

The emotional journey takes a challenging turn when Athena is pressured by the hospital midwife to speed up her labor. At one point, Athena is given an ultimatum: take medication to increase her contractions, or leave the hospital. Feeling bullied and unsupported, Athena’s husband and doula step in to advocate on her behalf, contacting the hospital about its policies and ultimately having the hospital midwife removed from the room.

After feeling unsafe and anxious from the hospital’s demands, Athena works with her husband and doula to devise a plan. Following a much-needed rest, she decides to take medication on her own terms. Labor progresses, and after hours of grueling effort, Athena delivers her healthy baby boy. The episode is a powerful portrayal of Athena’s resilience, navigating both the physical challenges of childbirth and the emotional toll of asserting her autonomy within a medical system that often undermines patient choices.

Contact Information

For any questions or to talk further about The Mother Wound, please contact Eric Lake.

[email protected] or 310.694.1722