17 Seconds to Sophie
★ 4.8 · 1998 · 1m · Documentary
The sound of a ticking kitchen timer introduces a slim, nude woman who is standing in semi-profile against a bare, off-white wall. Her expression is impassive. Her image flickers slightly, and we watch her abdomen grow, realizing we are seeing a time-lapse sequence of her pregnancy. After 17 seconds, the timer rings; a baby appears in her arms, and the time-lapse gives way to real time. A mother's beatific smile appears as she cuddles the child.
More Like This

Victoria
2021
In a small and conservative city in Jalisco, Alex builds his identity and defends his dreams: fatherhood, music, being a man.
More info →
General Studies: An Everyday Miracle
1981
In this BBC documentary directed by Andrew Neal and narrated by David Attenborough, modern medical imaging allows scientists and doctors to observe human development in the womb as never before. Following the stages of pregnancy from conception to birth, the film reveals the complex biological processes that shape the earliest months of human life. (Note: Standalone BBC2 documentary (1981) broadcast within the "General Studies" strand but produced and credited as an independent titled program.)
More info →
Ranh Giới
2021
This critically acclaimed Vietnamese documentary portrays the claustrophobic struggles against COVID-19, led by a group of doctors and nurses, in an effort to save the lives of COVID infected pregnant women. Produced by national news channel VTV, "Ranh Giới", meaning "borderline", refers to the line between life and death.
More info →
Aria
2017
Aria, a film about queer parents, identity and family constructions. It is through a series of portraits, of people leaning their faces over her belly that the artist proposes a diversity of stories and reflections on motherhood, parenthood, the desire or not to have a child, descent, and childhood. Entirely shot using smartphones, the film proposes an intimate journey, told via sensitive, fun or moving words, a contemporary family album.
More info →Silent Longing
2011
Silent Longing is a story about two childless couples who use endless infertility treatments to have a biological child of their own. It is an emotional journey where the idea of a child turns into a silent longing with no certainty of fulfillment.
More info →
Psychohydrography
2010 · ★ 6.6
An analysis of the flow of water from mountain to aqueduct, city to sea. Shot at and around the Eastern Sierra Nevada, Owens Valley, Los Angeles Aqueduct, Los Angeles River and Pacific Ocean.
More info →
To Our Daughter
2018 · ★ 6.2
Kylie Jenner documents her pregnancy and birth of her daughter.
More info →
Spring
2017
This is a companion piece to the Fall time-lapse. Intended to be the polar opposite of the first one. Not just the Fall vs Spring. But wide shots vs close ups, everything in focus vs shallow depth of field, very cutty vs one shot, contemporary music vs classical, static camera vs moving camera.
More info →
Birth on the border
2018
One million people legally cross the U.S.-Mexico border every day in both directions. Among them are women from Ciudad Juárez who cross to give birth in El Paso, Texas. Even with visas that allow them to cross, their journeys are uncertain. Gaby and Luisa, two women from Ciudad Juárez, cross legally into El Paso, Texas, in order to give birth. Two Chicana midwives in El Paso, Lina and Sandra, support the women who cross. After living through the extreme violence that engulfed Ciudad Juárez from 2008-2012 and with the looming threat of obstetrical violence in Mexican hospitals, Gaby and Luisa choose to cross, seeking a safer future for their children and the opportunity for natural childbirth with midwives. They risk losing their visas, getting turned back, and harassment at the hands of U.S. Border Patrol. Against the backdrop of oppressive U.S. border policy, these women's stories of risk and resilience reveal the complexities of life on the U.S.-Mexico border.
More info →
Yanuni
2026 · ★ 5
Indigenous chief Juma Xipaia fights to protect tribal lands despite assassination attempts. Her struggle intensifies after learning she's pregnant, while her husband, Special Forces ranger Hugo Loss, stands by her side.
More info →
Olmo and the Seagull
2015 · ★ 7.2
'Olmo and the Seagull' is a poetic and existential dive into an actress's mind during the nine months of her pregnancy as she must confront her most fiery inner demons while trying to rewrite a new philosophy of life, identity and love. Underlying this hybrid film is mounting tension over what is real and what is enacted when one is performing one's own life.
More info →