What do you care about that feels out of control? Motherthief is a short film from One Apparatus Productions that explores the uncertainties and anxieties of caring for something you don't truly understand.
Motherthief (2023)
Motherthief comes from the concept of caretaking and motherhood in a time when ownership of ideas has been altered by the digital experience. Actress, writer, and producer Caryn Sandoval explores the conflict between her own urge to be a mother and the despair of truly owning nothing, and clings to the very human urge to prove that love and empathy are constants. Director (and husband) Brendan Cleak provides the perspective of the unknown character with curiosity and affection. The film asks: if no one's ideas are truly their own, and we are all thieves of each other's perspectives, how does this define what we create? The film asks: if no one's ideas are truly their own, and we are all thieves of each other's perspectives, can there be a happy ending?
Shot across many locations with extremely limited crew, gear, and budget, this short film was created entirely by Brendan and Caryn.
About the Filmmakers
Graduates of UC Santa Cruz Film & Digital Media program in 2010, filmmakers Brendan Cleak and Caryn Sandoval spent the last 10 years studying, practicing, and cultivating their love of light and depth in all moments and things. Their production company, One Apparatus, was born from the idea that their creative relationship, their tools, and their minds are all one functioning apparatus, built through repetition and love. They focus on creating works that explore the ideas of unconditional love, what it means to be seen, and how these two things fit into the global, digital world we live in.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
As filmmakers and partners, we've crafted a shared perspective of life and art that gave birth to this film. Much of what we think and discuss in our daily lives is about our unconditional love for each other and life, what it means to be seen.
CONTACT
PRESS & MEDIA // brendan@oneapparatus