Rob Munday
In today’s digital world, where every moment feels watched and judged, the pressure on mothers has never been greater. It’s a theme many filmmakers have explored in both film and television, but standing out in such a crowded space takes a bold, original approach. For Edith Jorisch, that meant leaning into surrealism with her short film Mothers and Monsters – the tale of a bizarre and unsettling banquet that peels back the glossy layers of modern motherhood.
From the moment we’re seated at the table in this 16-minute short, it’s clear something isn’t quite right. The exaggerated sound design is our first clue, especially when the smiling diners turn toward the camera and a camera shutter clicks – a reminder that Jorisch isn’t just showing us a strange dinner, but indicating how motherhood can feel like a performance in a world where everyone’s always watching.
That tension deepens when we leave the dining room for the first time. The cries of a distressed baby and the appearance of a strange cabbage-dispenser expose the darker machinery behind this carefully curated scene. Things only grow more surreal: cabbages are split open to reveal perfect babies, mothers pose proudly for the camera, then pass the newborns off to the waiting staff, who whisk them away behind the scenes.
The diner’s pose for the camera at this surreal banquet.
But when the cabbages run out and the host is left without a baby, Mothers and Monsters’ tone takes on more of a horror tinge. As we’re led through the eerie bowels of the venue – first on a food trolley, then through a pulsing, fleshy tunnel – Jorisch reveals what’s lurking beneath the surface. Disheveled children flash past in the shadows, mysterious lumps pulse in the dark, and the once-poised guests begin to eat ravenously, as if possessed. The metaphor is blunt, but effective: behind the polished, picture-perfect version of motherhood often showcased online can lie a far more chaotic and messier reality.
Drawing inspiration from baby showers, gender reveal videos, and “Instagram moms unboxing stuff,” Jorisch may have created a fantasy world, but the commentary at its core feels all too real. Whether or not you connect with the message, Mothers and Monsters makes its point with unforgettable imagery and a style that’s impossible to look away from.
Mothers and Monsters marks Jorisch’s fifth short film and has already enjoyed an impressive festival run, screening at TIFF, Sitges, Regard, and the Palm Springs ShortFest. With that kind of momentum, we’re definitely excited to see what this Montreal-based screenwriter and director does next.