Victoria Mapplebeck is a British director and lecturer who has worked in film, video, VR, user-generated content, and with her personal, revelatory projects she’s shown a magic touch with a smartphone camera: she won a TV Bafta in 2019 for her iPhone short Missed Call, about her life as a single mum, working out her relationship with her teenage son and his absent dad. Now she has developed this into a tender, intimate, funny and entirely absorbing full-scale feature documentary, the title of which is a reference to the central circuit board on a computer – meaning perhaps both the importance of the digital equipment she’s using to record everything, and her own central importance to the computer of their own family unit, the motherboard that isn’t allowed to go wrong or take a day off.
The film Motherboard is a heartfelt tribute to her son Jim, incorporating two decades of footage that captures both the filmmaker’s life and Jim’s surreal journey from infancy to an outspoken and intelligent young adult. The runtime of the film is approximately 90 minutes, mirroring the gradual and sometimes overwhelming experience of parenting. Throughout, the filmmaker grapples with fatigue, a diagnosis of breast cancer, and her complicated connection with her father, who left the family when she was a child.
Renowned for documenting the passage of time, Richard Linklater’s film Boyhood showcases the growth of a child over three hours. In a similar vein, Mapplebeck’s personal venture could be titled Motherhood, Sonhood, or Lifehood. The film delves into her personal life in vivid detail through 4K rendering, providing a deeply satisfying and empathetic portrayal of Victoria and Jim. Intimately integrated into her own story, Mapplebeck’s camera acts as a fly on the wall, capturing every moment with dedicated, and at times, even ruthless precision. The film includes a strikingly surreal moment of Mapplebeck undergoing radiotherapy, with the camera placed at her head, gazing down at her body bathed in clinical light. As she vulnerably confesses her desires to live long enough to see her child reach adulthood, Mapplebeck’s honesty and raw vulnerability leave a powerful impact.
The way Jim expresses his emotions about meeting his dad is deeply moving and heartfelt. He acknowledges that he will feel sadness regardless of the outcome. This movie is successful because it stays true to its own intimate story and has a beautiful portrayal of humanity and compassion.
Source: theguardian.com
