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‘In Our Mothers’ Gardens’ Review: Creating Space for Black Women
Opening with a quote from Alice Walker, whose book “In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens” inspired the film’s title, the documentary sets out to show how Black maternal lineages have shaped the idea of Black womanhood.
New York Times →
Review: ‘In Our Mothers’ Gardens’ allows Black women to collectively share their stories
Curator, critic and now filmmaker Shantrelle P. Lewis doesn’t shy away from the personal in her work. Her debut feature film, “In Our Mothers’ Gardens,” is no exception in its collective storytelling structure, bringing together Black women of various backgrounds and locales, including the filmmaker herself.
Los Angeles Times →
With ‘In Our Mothers' Gardens’ Shantrelle P. Lewis Explores the Beauty of Black Motherhood
Like many of us, Shantrelle P. Lewis was thrown for a loop when Covid-19 hit. The art curator and filmmaker had just returned from South Africa when the U.S. announced it was locking down its borders and requesting that people across the country shelter in place to get a handle on the virus that seemed to be quickly spreading around the globe. Predictably, she was alarmed.
Shondaland→
Review: In Our Mothers' Gardens
“You can’t have a short memory and be Black,” says Dr Koko Zauditu Selassie, a professor of Black global literature. Her words deserve extra emphasis for African-American women and women of color: The historically discriminated lifeblood of the Black family unit.
Roger Egbert→
‘In Our Mothers’ Gardens’: Film Review
In Our Mothers’ Gardens, the feature directorial debut of Shantrelle P. Lewis, gingerly tends to the incandescent and sometimes knotty relationships between Black mothers and their daughters.
The Hollywood Reporter→
“In Our Mothers’ Gardens” Celebrates the Legacy of Black Mothers
In Our Mothers’ Gardens, the new documentary by debut filmmaker Shantrelle P. Lewis, from Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY films, premieres Friday on the streaming giant Netflix. A deeply personal film exploring the relationships between Black mothers and daughters, Lewis and her close circle of friends, mentors, and Black feminists…
Ms. Magazine→
Our Mothers’ Stories: In Conversation with Shantrelle P. Lewis
New Orleans native Shantrelle P. Lewis’ new film, “In Our Mothers’ Gardens,'' explores relationships between mothers and their daughters. L. Kasimu Harris, also from New Orleans, spoke with Lewis about parenting and making peace with, and finding strength from, our mothers and all the mothers before them.
The Bitter Southerner→
Shantrelle P. Lewis on the Roots of “In Our Mothers’ Gardens”
It hadn’t been how it was planned, but given that Shantrelle P. Lewis had always hoped to make it feel like home for audiences to get into the kind of intimate conversations she wanted in her debut film “In Our Mothers’ Gardens,” there was a silver lining when Blackstar, a festival where she had been a founding board member, pivoted online last fall due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Moveable Fest→
Assuage Any Leftover Mother's Day Feels With Shantrelle P. Lewis' New Documentary "In Our Mother's Gardens"
Mother’s Day might be over, but here at BUST we don’t need a holiday to honor moms. If you're looking for more ways to celebrate, a great pick would be Shantrelle P. Lewis’ debut documentary In Our Mother’s Gardens.
BUST→
Shantrelle Lewis Said Her Ancestors Helped Her Finish In Our Mothers’ Gardens Film
Last week, we told you about the documentary about Black women and mothers, In Our Mothers’ Gardens. This week, we had the chance to speak to the film’s director Shantrelle Lewis before her work begins streaming on Netflix, starting tomorrow, May 6.
MADAMENOIRE→
In Our Mother’s Gardens: Unearthing The Lush Lineage Of Black Women
Shantrelle P. Lewis’ timely documentary In Our Mother’s Garden brings front and center the Black diasporic relationships between daughters, mothers and grandmamas. Watching it, Lewis reminds us that Black motherhood is not a single story, that it embodies multiple languages and still its translation is universal.
EBONY→
Stream It Or Skip It: ‘In Our Mothers’ Gardens’ on Netflix, Lessons on Black iIdentity, Femininity, Love, and Self-Care
Netflix’s In Our Mothers’ Gardens is a new movie from Ava Duvernay’s production company Array that shows deep appreciation for the moms who inspired a wide-ranging and geographically diverse group of Black women in America.
Decider →
In Our Mother’s Garden Cultivates a Soil Rich with Love, Truth and Laughter
There is a woman from St. Louis who dreamed of being a nurse and helping those who medically suffered. Even after failing the board exam, she never gave up and eventually lived out that dream as Registered Nurse in every conceivable nursing department for more than 50 years. That woman has been a beacon of courage, hope and tenacity for an entire family for decades.