“Mother Vera” directed by Cécile Embleton, Alys Tomlinson and produced by Laura Shacham is, without exaggeration, one of the most incredible films I have ever seen. Exploring the delicate balance between routine and freedom, organised religion and wider spirituality, femininity and restraint, it is an absolute masterpiece.
As a dear friend, curator and photographer Zula Rabikowska said: “It made me feel before I thought”. And this summarises the overall experience perfectly. Hungrily, we watched and waited for every scene, every pause, every blackout to connect with Vera (also Olga) again. This story of a deeply spiritual woman with a complex past, having lived multiple starkly different lives, is a journey of servitude and healing.
Each shot inches us closer to her true inner world, deeper into the corners of spaces she calls home and cares for, and yet, spaces she grapples with the confines of. These beautiful and deeply intimate scenes are juxtaposed with vast Belarusian landscapes – dark forests covered in an all-consuming snow, echoing the shadows of the mind. Here too are the faces of men who faced addiction, confinement, themselves and each other. Sometimes almost addicted to the spiritual routine, replacing, or perhaps, taming a darkness from the past.
Through the cold baptism of streams, a devotion to mutual care and respect, and an unwavering commitment to connecting with nature, and the creatures within it, Vera (Olga) takes on the journey toward redemption, forgiveness, the acceptance of self and building a true inner compass. Tirelessly, she not only begins to shed the shackles of trauma, but builds a home beyond a physical place, a home within.
How deeply this resonates at a time when home has for many become involuntarily a metaphysical space. This film showcases the deepening of spiritual practice, being broken down and being put together again, shot by just two people over the course of seven years. This piece will leave you breathless and, we hope, have as profound an impact as it has on us.
From the bottom of our hearts here at Izba Arts, thank you for this incredible work, which is a culmination of a seven-year process that has and I am certain will continue to change lives.
Book an upcoming screening below: https://www.motherverafilm.co.uk/
