Saturday Evening Event- Film Screening- No One Told Me (Included)
Join us Saturday early evening for a FREE film screening of No One Told Me, a documentary about the postpartum experience. This screening will be offered for free and will include a brief discussion afterward about the film and its intersection with the families we serve. The room will open at 6:00pm and the film will begin at 6:15pm with a processing discussion immediately following.
No One Told Me_TRAILER from Zulilah Merry on Vimeo.
No One Told Me Testimonials
“I am in awe of this documentary. It is very rare to see any real-life experiences of postpartum on screen, particularly the hard parts and this documentary managed to do it so well. With so much respect for Elise and not trying to edit it or hide what was happening, just showing her as she was, in each moment.” -Jury Member / Central Scotland Documentary Festival
“This film shows the raw vulnerability, strength and beauty of the postpartum period; the work of becoming a parent for the first time. Bringing this film to our community is another way we can help the women and families we serve to prepare for the arrival of a new baby and reflect on their own postpartum experiences.” -Michelle LeRiche / RN-BSN, CLC and Centering Pregnancy Coordinator at MCMG Women’s Health Care
“Saw the world premier of this documentary last night and it was magical. We cried at the rawness and laughed at the relatability. The world needs to see No One Told Me Documentary.” -Mell Pulsifer / In the Nest Midwifery
“As someone who did birthwork for the last 20 years, I have to tell you, just from the trailer alone… This is SUCH an important film. I cannot tell you the number of times I walked into a house and found the same situation. And every single mother thought she was crazy and that it wasn’t normal.” -Lauren McAllister Dawson / Retired Doula
“Never have I had tears rolling down my cheeks two minutes into watching a film. Zulilah did a stunning job capturing the postpartum season of life, may your work reach every little corner of this world”-Muriel Webster / Held Postpartum
“I want to say what a gorgeous documentary you made. I am the mother of two boys and it was so refreshing, encouraging and supportive to watch another woman in a postpartum situation that felt at times, so similar to my own and that normalises everything that comes along with having a baby. So much love for this documentary” -Caroline / Mother in Ireland
“As a retired midwife, I’ll offer this: We–mothers/fathers/families/ care providers, spend a great deal of time preparing for labor and birth–and rightly so. Throughout my years of practice in Midwifery, I also spent a great deal of time trying to prepare mothers and families for postpartum–I only wish I could have had this film as part of that preparation as there is nothing like the visceral and visual presentation of lived reality when it comes to generating attention and response. In truth, I think that many of my clients tended to dismiss the need to talk about and prepare for post partum–they prepared for the baby, making sure all was in readiness–but the postpartum experience for the mother and family was difficult to convey–most women, understandably, want to view the birth of the baby as the culminating event after which everything will be lovely–and it IS lovely–but it is also deeply challenging and a high energy, transitional period of time–a liminal space–that deserves so much more attention and focus than it is given. I would urge every birth-and-family worker: midwives, doulas, family and friends in support–to watch this film and incorporate it into your practice. A good and beautiful birth is a wonderful thing but it can be undone by an unprepared and unnecessarily difficult postpartum transition. Pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum are a continuum that lasts more than a year–postpartum lasts far longer than six weeks–again, it’s a transition that lasts many months–I always told my clients that I remained “on call” for them for the entire first year and I think that’s a valid approach–and it proved to be needed. So much happens for the mother, baby and family during that time–continued support and education are essential.” -Michelle Everett Wilbert / Retired Midwife