This week we’re joined by BAFTA winning filmmaker Victoria Mapplebeck to discuss her feature documentary Motherboard which transforms 20 years of solo parenting her son Jim into a groundbreaking work of cinematic self-portraiture as it charts two decades of life—from the shock of an unplanned pregnancy to the joys and challenges of raising a child alone, navigating cancer treatment, and weathering the storms of adolescence. In our interview, we get into the ethics of filming family and the need for clear informed consent, using smartphones to democratise filmmaking when funding remains elusive and structuring the film to prioritise emotional truth over tidy linear narratives.
[Watch/Read the full interview]

Head to Directors Notes for more filmmaker interviews and to watch our daily selection of new short films. If you’d like your film featured on DN, submit it here. If you’re not already, you should definitely subscribe to the Directors Notes podcast.
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