THE FIRST CHILD

SYNOPSIS

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Ada and her partner Rino move into a villa surrounded by nature. Pregnant with their second child, Ada gradually begins to relive the pain of losing her firstborn as her due date approaches. Although she pretends to be fine, she has not yet come to terms with her grief and begins to believe that her son has returned from the afterlife to prevent his brother from being born. Is it really happening, or is Ada losing her mind?

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DIRECTOR'S NOTES

“The First Child” explores the archetype of the Mother, a mother’s fears, and the ways in which they might be overcome.

As a young woman who may one day try to have children, I wanted to use my film to examine the unspoken fears surrounding pregnancy.

Becoming a mother means assuming responsibility, and Ada’s story thus becomes both universal and cathartic. I began with a personal story and chose to magnify Ada’s struggles, placing her in the most difficult situation a mother could face.

I asked myself what happens to a woman when the fear of becoming a mother for the second time is compounded by the guilt of having lost her first child.

Each of the protagonist’s fears is amplified because it merges with the greatest fear of all: Ada is terrified of making another mistake.

With this film, I do not intend to produce a sociological treatise. Through Ada’s story, I want to offer women who feel less like mothers because they are afraid a space in which these hidden, unspoken fears—concealed out of fear of judgment—can finally emerge.