Midwives

English below

Sofia og Louise, venner og romkamerater, har sin første dag på jobben som jordmødre sammen. Mens Sofia er klar fra første stund, har Louise en tøff start og egentlig nok med sine egne problemer, men ettersom ukene går kjenner begge like mye på presset. Jobben er uglamorøs og dårlig betalt, og selv i situasjoner der alt gjøres rett, kan ikke alle reddes. Likevel fortsetter de så godt de kan, og et spesielt bånd knyttes mellom de ansatte ved barselavdelingen.

Regissør Léa Fehner har utvilsomt ambisjoner om å tale de franske jordmødrenes sak: Midwives er usminket, ærlig og ikke minst menneskelig i sin skildring i en av de viktigste og vanskeligste jobbene i helsevesenet. Hun skildrer dette alvoret uten at det overskygger Midwives sine dramatiske og morsomme egenskaper som fiksjonsfilm. Resultatet er en filmopplevelse som både engasjerer og underholder.

[Midwives is] just an exceptional movie in how it centers the human body and its requirements, and tells a deeply human story about what we risk when we don’t protect ourselves.

- Sarah Manvel, Critic’s Notebook

Léa Fehner (f. 1981) er en fransk manusforfatter og regissør. Hun har manusutdannelse fra La Fémis og har vunnet priser for alle spillefilmene hun har regissert. Fehner gjorde sin spillefilmdebut som regissør og medmanusforfatter av Silent Voice (2009) og fylte de samme rollene i sin neste film Ogres (2015). Midwives er hennes tredje film.

Two midwives, freshly graduated, struggle to keep their spirits up in the harsh working environment in Léa Fehner’s newest feature. Midwives is an intense, heart-warming, and politically relevant stay at a French maternity ward.

Sofia and Louise, who are friends and roommates, arrive for their first day of work as midwives together. While Sofia is ready to jump right in, Louise has a less than stellar start, struggling to leave her own problems at home. However, as weeks go by, they find themselves under equally intense pressure. The job is glamourless and offers poor pay, and even if one does everything right, not everyone can be saved. Still, they carry on to the best of their abilities, and a remarkable bond is formed between the maternity ward employees.

There is no doubt that Léa Fehner wants to champion the French midwives' cause with her film. It is a no-frills, honest, and deeply human portrait of one of the most difficult yet essential positions in healthcare. However, this does not overshadow the film's great sense of humor and drama as a work of fiction, resulting in an experience that is both engaging and entertaining.

Léa Fehner (b. 1981) is a French writer and director. She holds a screenwriting degree from La Fémis and has received awards for each of her feature films. Fehner made her feature debut as a director and co-writer of Silent Voice (2009) and subsequently took on the same roles in her next film, Ogres (2015). Midwives is her third feature film.

//Jenny Lund // Oslo Pix