Become a Patron of
BEYOND MOTHER LOVE
— a compelling cinematic journey in search of the most unlikely friendships that cross cognitive divides and uncover whole new ways of being and relating as humans.
Watch the teaser video and read the treatment below
Treatment
When artist Jen Logan’s non-verbal son, Tate, is diagnosed with severe cognitive disabilities, she searches for stories that speak of the value of people with cognitive impairments. She discovers that those being told are almost always focused on biological families (overwhelmingly on mothers) and on the worth of their child to them.
This leaves her questioning: What value does my son have in this world apart from his value to me? Of what worth is he beyond the dynamic of family love? As someone who cannot communicate, behave or contribute the way most people do, would anyone besides his family ever be his friend? Are there people ‘out there’ who know how to enjoy adults like Tate. And if so, who are they?
Beyond Mother Love follows Jen’s journey to find unlikely friendships that cross cognitive divides including people with learning disabilities, brain injuries, neurodivergence or Dementia. The film uncovers the hidden and unexpected thrill of living alongside those who require us to learn new ways of being and relating and tells their stories in such a way that it might move audiences beyond a sense of dry moral duty to form friendships with people who are cognitively disabled; towards a desire for it.
Through her own philosophically informed yet playfully rendered performance art, Jen captures what it is that those who appear to us to be “disordered” examples of human beings reveal about the very essence of being a person. What it is they tell us about ourselves that we have become unable to tell each other, and in the current cultural moment, when Artificial Intelligence has the potential to categorize all of humanity as 'disabled,' it matters that we all hear this now. Her work culminates in a collaborative artwork made with those she has met on the journey to design a fictional Slow Therapy Retreat where people can learn how to be human from the inherent wisdom of those who can only do so slowly and dependently. Including, a store that sells shoes designed not to make us run faster but to need to lean on another in order to walk in.
The final encounter in her journey will bring an answer to Jen’s question from an unlikely person. A girl diagnosed with such profound disabilities that she was unable to survive her own birth. Though her mother was never able to see what might exist for her child ‘beyond mother love’— what she discovered during her labor will speak to the heart of Jen’s fears. When she’s no longer here to love Tate, whose loved-one will he be? This emotional revelation reinforces the urgency of embracing and valuing the diverse friendships that transcend cognitive divides.
In addition to the feature-length documentary, the project includes a series of short-form social media videos that showcase stand-alone moments and scenes from the journey. These videos aim to engage a wider audience and further inspire individuals to seek meaningful connections with cognitively disabled people.
Beyond Mother Love is committed to the principles of Nothing About Us Without Us.
We have a diverse mixed ability production team. Of the people listed below, 60 percent of them have a cognitive disability or are neurodivergent.
Beyond Mother Love is a two part project. In addition to the documentary, we are conducting a qualitative research study into the experiences of mixed-ability friendships with the department of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London
Become a Patron
You are invited to become a patron of the film through scene-share. Purchase one scene of the film and receive an NFT certificate of ownership, prominent credit in the film and an exclusive invitation to the premier at Vue Cinemas, West End London. Contact David and Jen Logan hello@beyondmotherlove.com.
Production Team
Producer: David Logan
Director: Jen Logan
Assistant Director: Ola Jankowska
Writers: Jen Logan and David Logan
Script Development Consultant: Jess Hardie
Consultant: Felicity Karamoko
Director of Photography: Giorgio Bossiso
Sound Design: Maiken Haberg Hansen
Soundtrack: Mixed Cognitive Disabilities Orchestra: Simba Ngwarati, Ben Reeves, Gideon Luke, Isaac Morelli, Jayman Badiani, Peter Cumberbatch, Reza Eslamdoust, Roberto DaSilva, James Heath, Alex Thomas, and David Logan
Director of Research: Prof. John Weinman
Support for Beyond Mother Love
Vue Cinemas Europe - (Distribution Partner)
King’s College London - (Department of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience/Research Partner)
Anna Cox - (Producer)
Sally Philips - (Actor, comedian, activist)
Julia Short - (Leading film marketer and distributor)
Prof John Swinton - (University of Aberdeen)
Iwan Russell Jones - (Documentary film producer)
Dillop Joshi - (Royal Pharmaceutical Society)
Sophy Sivaraman - (Good Pitch)
John Casson - (L’Arche disabilities charity)