The documentary 'No Country for Mothers' highlights the systemic failures in supporting US mothers, including lack of paid leave and affordable childcare. Executive producer Reshma Saujani, founder of Moms First and Girls Who Code, designed the film to be screened in person by thousands of mothers rather than released on streaming platforms, to foster community action and combat isolation.
Grassroots Screenings Across the Country
Brittney Walker is hosting a screening at a community poolhouse in Arizona. Joanna Carolina Berry rented a theater in Georgia. Stephanie Valdez booked a library room in Nevada. Over 2,000 mothers are listed as producers in the credits, reflecting their contributions through sharing stories or hosting events.
Decades of Policy Failures
The film traces decades of failed family policy, noting that Congress passed a childcare bill in the 1970s only to have President Richard Nixon veto it. Hillary Clinton appears in the documentary to discuss this history. Saujani emphasized that the film aims to unite mothers across political divides, focusing on shared goals like paid leave and universal childcare.
Political Divide on Childcare
Former President Donald Trump stated in April that federal childcare funding is 'not possible,' suggesting states should handle it. In the film, Saujani directly asks Trump about childcare funding, and his response is described as bungled: 'They had no f***ing clue how to answer that question,' she says. Alice Mann, a Minnesota state senator who authored the state's paid leave law, noted that no Republican voted for it, and one male senator told her women of childbearing age should stay home.
Building a Movement
Saujani said the film is 'gasoline, and we are the match,' urging mothers to 'burn it down and build back America to what should have always been: a country for mothers.' Hosts like Walker, Berry, and Valdez hope the screenings spark conversations across political lines. Berry noted, 'Babies aren't born Republican or Democrat.' The film includes focus groups and interviews with mothers struggling to balance work and care, aiming to shift the narrative from individual problems to societal gaps.
