m OTHER is a mixed media documentary that outlines the misrepresented and often overlooked role of the Stepmother in modern family culture. Through a combination of cinematic storytelling and both performance and traditional artwork, five stepmothers from different backgrounds come together to platform and center step motherhood and shift the narrative about what it is to be a Stepmother in modern society—and what they ultimately think needs to change for these women’s mental and emotional health to no longer be in constant jeopardy.
Half of all women in the United States will marry a spouse with children. Between 60 and 73 percent these marriages will ultimately fail. Stepmothers report depression at nearly double the rate of biological mothers, are at considerably higher risk for the psychological consequences of role strain than stepfathers—and yet, our culture’s most lasting and prevalent portrait of Stepfamilies remains: the fable of the Wicked Stepmother.
