Jean (Kate Lyn Sheil), Mona (Jade Eshete), Ruth (Lindsay Burdge), and Perizad (Assol Abdullina) are four very different women with no connection to one another, besides the fact that they are on the same subway car. The new drama “Materna,” co-written by Eshete and Abdullina, briefly introduces each woman during a fateful subway ride before following them in their own vignettes. Seeing these women going about their own lives, it becomes clear that, despite marked differences in class, profession, race, religion, and political worldview, they share a lot in common — namely a feeling of alienation from those they love. In particular, as its title signals, the protagonists all have a fraught relationship with motherhood — whether they are considering becoming mothers, wondering if they’re doing right by their children, or navigating tensions with their own moms.
Jean works from home, developing a program that seems to allow users to virtually experience romance and sex. Her mother pushes her to get out more, to try and meet someone, and to freeze her eggs. Mona, an actress, is preparing for an audition and trying to communicate with her mother, a devout Jehovah’s Witness. Ever since Mona left the faith, she has struggled to connect with her mother on any level. Ruth, who is rich and socially conservative, is on the defensive when her 10-year-old son is suspended from school over a mysterious incident involving a classmate who identifies as a lesbian. And Perizad returns to her native Kyrgyzstan for a beloved uncle’s funeral, only for old conflicts among her, her mother, and her grandmother to resurface.
Without giving too much away, the central subway journey and an encounter with a catcaller underscores how connected these women are, even though they feel completely isolated. Under normal circumstances, they’d probably never interact. But here, when facing a disaffected white dude hellbent on making his presence known, it’s clear they’re united just by virtue of being women. Ruth can rail against identity politics as much as she wants, but the subway harasser only sees her for her gender, for being someone he can pick on with no consequences. In its own dark way, “Materna” argues that, even with all our differences, it’s women against the world.
“Materna” is now in theaters. It will be available on VOD August 10. Find screening info here.
