LOST IN LIVING
Does motherhood take a toll on a woman’s artistic pursuits? Her identity as an expressive being? Her creative output? These are the questions director Mary Trunk explores in her feature length documentary, Lost In Living. The film follows four mothers/artists (Kristina Robbins-filmmaker, Caren McCaleb-artist/film editor/filmmaker, Marjorie Schlossman-visual artist, and Merrill Joan Gerber-writer) over seven years as they share their stories of motherhood and the creative journey.
Trunk calls this struggle – the intersection of motherhood and the creative process – “lost in living.” The desire and the need to create while also being a mother forces these women to make difficult choices in how they parent, in their relationships with their spouses, in their friendships, and in their day-to-day domestic chores and lives. The task of trying to be a mom at the same time as an artistically expressive force becomes all-consuming for Kristina, Caren, Marjorie, and Merrill as they constantly question their choices, their paths, and their identities as artists, mothers, and women.
Trunk’s own struggle with both motherhood and filmmaking inspired her to make the film. Her objective/observational role as a documentarian allows the true nature of each woman’s journey and voice to be authentic, understood, and most importantly, valued. This documentary is a must see for all artists, women, and mothers who may themselves be lost in living.
Mother Dreaming 