New Short Film Tackles the Hardships of Motherhood

Film students Sarah Angeloni and Frankie Watson act as extras in Angeloni’s upcoming short film “Parallel.” Photo courtesy of Sarah Angeloni. 

The concept of parenthood is one that evokes many emotions and actions. Love, responsibility, finances, worry and making important decisions are just a few aspects of it.

The University of Rhode Island student-directed film “Parallel,” which recently wrapped on shooting, explores this concept and woes that come along with parenthood.

The film features three stories of interconnected people dealing with their own difficult circumstances surrounding parenthood. One story is about a mother and daughter’s relationship that deals with an unplanned pregnancy, and the possibility of an abortion. 

Abortion strikes home for the mother, Jennifer, as this is something she went through before when she was younger. Now her daughter, Crystal, who is away at college, is questioning if she should do the same. The other story is about Jennifer’s close friend Kerry, who discovers she can never be able to conceive a child due to an illness. This story focused more on the opposite side, Kerry must face the harsh reality of never being able to have kids. 

Director Sarah Angeloni and First Assistant Director Frankie Watson, who are both senior film majors, have taken much pride in their work and hope it is informative to its audience as well as making the audience and appreciative of a parent actually goes through. 

“The reason I love the script so much is because I think when talking topics like abortion and women’s issues,” Watson said. “I think it gets people to think about [how] someone [is] going through it.”

 She hopes that this film will cause people to realize how difficult being a single mother and unplanned pregnancy can be. “People can be more human,” she added. 

Watson also noted the stigma that comes with being a single mother and how America tends to look down on it. 

“Things are changing in our society, like environmental issues,” Angeloni said. “You don’t even know if you want to have kids and raise them in a world that you don’t know if it’s going to exist in 11 years.” 

Both talked about the hardships of being a parent now, like with the excess of technology and financial cost of life. 

“A lot of people can make the decision ‘I can be a parent, I can raise this kid,’” Watson said. “Well, that may not be enough now. What about the factors you have no control over [in the world].” 

On the topic of abortion, both said they feel it’s “completely valid” and that making a choice to have the child or keep it is a hard decision either way. They both believed that people should be able to do what they want with their bodies, and that it shouldn’t be someone else’s choice. 

“It’s the mother and father’s choice,” Watson said. “Mostly the mother’s [choice] cause it is her body.” 

Angeloni and Watson agreed having children is a blessing. They both said they have grown closer with their mothers while being away from them in college. Angeloni brought up the characters, Jennifer and Crystal, and how their relationship is similar to her and her own mom. 

“Their relationship got stronger as they went apart as my relationship with my mom did,” she said. “I appreciate her more when I see her.” 

The screening for the short film “Parallel” will premiere on Dec. 11 at the Edwards Auditorium along with other student films. The screening will be free and is open to the public.