Archival montage, science fiction, and homage to 70s feminist filmmaking are woven together in this haunting and lyrical essay film excavating hidden histories of childbirth in the twentieth century. Assembling an extraordinary archive of over 100 educational, industrial, and medical training films, THE MOTHERHOOD ARCHIVES inventively untangles the complex genealogies of maternal education. From the first use of anesthetic ether in the 19th century to the postmodern 21st century hospital birthing suite, the film charts a fascinating course through the cultural histories of pain, obstetric anesthesia, and the little-known international history of the natural childbirth and Lamaze movements.
