UK SCREENINGS
19th August
London, ICA
3rd September
Southampton
5th September
London
11th September
Liverpool
22nd September
London
29th Aug-4th Sept
London, ICA
3rd September
Oxford
8th September
Brighton
17th September
Edinburgh
24th September
Bath
1st September
Norwich
4th September
London
10th September
London
19th September
York
...more to be announced
SYNOPSIS
In a hidden Orthodox monastery in Belarus, MOTHER VERA weaves the inner world of an unorthodox young nun with the community that saved her life. After 20 years as a monastic, Vera faces deep inner conflict. Now, she must confront her past and trust her instincts to find the liberation she desires.
PRESS
TEAM
Cécile Embleton
Romain Beck
Producer
Laura Shacham
Laura is a creative producer specialising in artist moving image and documentary film. She seeks out projects where the alchemy of voice, place and care melds, with an emphasis on those led and imagined by womxn. Laura is a Sheffield Doc/Fest Future Producer 2016 and a Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program Grantee 2020.
Director
Cécile Embleton
Cécile is an English-French film director. She strives to make cinema that evokes the spiritual dimension of our human search for meaning and purpose.
Her directorial debut, 'The Watchmaker' screened at Hot Docs, Dok Leipzig and SXSW. 'Mother Vera' is her first documentary feature which won the Locarno First Look prize in 2023. Cécile is BAFTA connect member and a Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program Grantee 2020.
Director
Alys Tomlinson
Alys is a photographer based in London, working mostly in black and white film. Her work has been included in over twenty international exhibitions and she was named Sony World Photographer of the Year 2018 which included a portrait of Vera. Her long-term project ‘Ex-Voto’ was published by GOST Books in 2019. ‘Mother Vera’ is her directorial debut.
Editor
Romain Beck
Romain’s editing work has been recognised at festivals including London, IDFA, Hot Docs, and South by Southwest. In 2024, he made his directorial debut with The Backstreet (Sheffield DocFest, international competition) and is developing his next project, The Next Line is a Secret, through the Sheffield DocFest Queer Realities Director Lab 2025.
