Screenings
Visions du Réel
World Premiere
International Competition
April 2024
Awards & Recognition
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.
TEAM
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 a French-British documentary director. Her directorial debut, “The Watchmaker”, screened at Hot Docs, Dok Leipzig and SXSW and won the Grand Jury Prize at Boston International Film Festival. Mother Vera is her first documentary feature film which is supported by Sundance, winner of Locarno First Look 2023 and second place winner at the Hotdocs Forum 2021.
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 has over a decade’s worth of experience as a documentary editor. He was part of the edit team of “Much ado about dying” (which won best director at IDFA 2022). His editing work has been recognised at Jihlava Festival 2018, Dok Leipzig, Hot Docs and South by SXSW.
