Rob Munday
Picture the scene: a tired and stressed new mother, a parents group full of smiles and advice. Sound familiar? In Ruby Challenger’s 15-minute short MumLife, the conventional narrative surrounding those early days of motherhood takes an unconventional turn – by becoming a musical. Setting out to confront the stereotypes associated with new mothers and use its song and dance routines to offer an insight into the headspace of its protagonist (Sarah), Challenger’s film’s offers a fresh and accessible take on a situation many will relate to.
“The film doesn’t look for reasons or answers to why Sarah is so anxious.”
“After having my first baby, my body seemed to become public property”, Challenger explains as we discuss the motivation behind creating her short. Adding that almost instantly she felt like she lost her vocabulary, alongside being plagued with insecurity, the director wanted to create a film that captured this experience, without needing to provide “reasons or answers” to why her central character is so anxious.
During a time Challenger labels as a “haze of hormones”, although she was also “wearing adult diapers”, while her “nipples leaked breastmilk through every top”, the director is keen to point out the contrasting emotions experienced by a lot of new parents. Despite the chaos, the filmmaker describes this period as the “greatest time in my life filled with the most glorious joy” and MumLife manages to authentically capture the ups and downs that accompany this uncompromising welcome to motherhood – despite the musical genre not being well known for its levels of legitimacy.
“I wanted to subvert the style of music often used in musicals so the audience could relate the film to their own lives.” – director Ruby Challenger
As someone who is not normally a fan of musicals (I once slept through the entirety of the Lord of the Rings musical), I was dubious as to whether the songs would really add anything to the narrative of MumLife. Yet, with its central character struggling to find a voice in this strange new world she finds herself, Challenger uses these breaks from reality to offer a “window into Sarah’s soul”. Adding that she wanted to “subvert the style of music often used in musicals” to help her film become more relatable, the director also aimed to capture that “deep bittersweet feeling” many would have experienced in those early months of nurturing a new born.
As a father of two myself, although I can’t claim to have experienced the specific challenges of motherhood depicted in MumLife firsthand, I do know what it’s like to be confronted with these feelings of insecurity and responsibility. The moment your first born is placed in your arms your world undergoes a seismic shift. It’s simultaneously the most joyful and daunting moment in your life. While Challenger’s film predominantly delves into the worries and anxieties of new parents, it culminates in a touching moment of serenity and love.
It serves as a poignant reflection of parenthood – amidst the trials and exhaustion, it’s essential to cherish those moments of happiness. Great! Now, I’m all broody again!