The Motherhood Manifesto is a 58-minute documentary film that explores the systemic obstacles facing mothers in America while illustrating solutions with mixed media, humor, moving personal stories, and star power.

Directed by Laura Pacheco and produced alongside PBS veteran John de Graaf, the film is based on the award-winning book of the same name by Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner and Joan Blades. The creators also established the powerful advocacy organization, which now has more than 3.7 million cumulative members, MomsRising.

The film has been shown in many theatres across the nation, on numerous PBS stations, in Congressional convenings, and more.

WATCH THE MOTHERHOOD MANIFESTO DOCUMENTARY FILM: The documentary film can be seen here.

The film's structure, core themes, and unique style include:

• Mixed Media Delivery: The documentary balances heavy statistics with moving personal stories, expert commentary, and historical archival clips.
• Humorous Parodies: To keep the tone engaging, it features a recurring, satirical animated cartoon segment starring "Bev Betters". Bev offers terrible, sardonic advice on how working mothers can "have it all," which routinely backfires to highlight the absurdity of the "perfect mom" myth.
• Star Power: The film is narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Mary Steenburgen.

The film uses the acronym M.O.T.H.E.R. to frame the essential rights and policies it advocates for in the following way:

• M – Maternity/Paternity Leave: Highlighting the financial ruin parents face due to the lack of access to paid family/medical leave.
• O – Open Flexible Work: Addressing workplace inflexibility, discrimination against mothers in the hiring process, and the financial penalties of the "maternal wall."
• T – TV We Choose & After-School Programs: Fighting exploitative children's television and online marketing and providing safe, educational environments for kids after school.
• H – Healthcare for All Kids: Promoting universal healthcare options so families don't face bankruptcy over medical bills.
• E – Excellent Childcare: Championing affordable, high-quality childcare and fair living wages for childcare workers.
• R – Realistic and Fair Wages: Demanding equal pay for equal work and living wages that allow parents to comfortably support a family.

Ultimately, the Motherhood Manifesto documentary serves as an urgent call to action. The movie outlines how lagging the United States is compared to other industrialized nations regarding family economic security and a largely absent care infrastructure, but leaves viewers empowered by showcasing personal stories, progressive companies, leaders, and local activists successfully changing the system. While initially released in the 2000s, the film remains a relevant call to action today.

WATCH THE MOTHERHOOD MANIFESTO DOCUMENTARY FILM: The documentary film can be seen here.