Motherboard

A mother and son navigate ups and downs over a 20 year period in this British documentary.

Filmed over 20 years, BAFTA-winner Victoria Mapplebeck’s extraordinary video diary charts the experience of raising her son Jim alone.

Shot on five generations of smartphones, pieced together from hundreds of hours of footage, Motherboard captures each twist and turn in Jim’s life – from the thumbs-up he gave Mapplebeck during her first pregnancy scan to his first day at college, alongside her own struggles and successes (single parenthood, breast cancer and the vicissitudes of an artistic career). 

The result is a miraculous and relatable testament to life in all its glory – the joy, the pain and the mess – as well as an unusually frank look at motherhood. 

“Tender, intimate, funny and entirely absorbing” ★★★★ The Guardian