Earth Mama

An enriching and profoundly human portrait of a Black mother struggling to hold onto her family -- the sort of filmmaking we don't see enough of.

“Earth Mama” is the sort of filmmaking we just don’t see a lot of — a gritty drama about marginalized people combating terrible circumstances that, to those sitting outside their situation, looks a lot like a common, ugly stereotype.

Tia Nomore plays Gia, a young Black woman expecting her third child at just 24 years old, her oldest two already in government custody because of her past addiction and criminal record. She works a dead-end job as an assistant at a portrait studio, shares a shabby motel room with her sister and attends all sorts of mandatory classes required by child services.

Her quotidian existence is one of boredom and humiliation.

Gia is somebody who seemingly everybody looks down on. She’s made a lot of mistakes and has a host of strikes against her. But she truly loves her children, and wants to find a way to be reunited with her son and daughter, who are about age 6 or 7, and keep the baby in her blooming belly that is also in danger of being taken from her.

Nomore, in her first screen role, gives a quietly moving performance as a woman determined to rise up against all the bad knocks against her. In several sequences that blur the boundary between her harsh reality and imagination, she sees herself wandering through a lush green forest like an earthen spirit, her pregnant belly almost propelling her forward. This way lies hope.

No CGI here; the actress genuinely is with child. I can only imagine the logistical and emotional challenges of starring in a movie, even a low-budget indie, while in such a blessed state.

“Mama” is written and directed by Savanah Leaf, her first feature film after an extensive apprenticeship in short films and music videos. She already shows a mature, contemplative approach to filmmaking that operates based more on mood and the actors’ presence than big moments or long dialogue speeches. Gia, despite being the central character, probably doesn’t say more than a couple pages of words.

Rapper Doechii plays Gia’s best friend, Trina, who is similarly situated with a pregnancy and past misdeeds. Their sisterly relationship is challenged, though, when Gia begins contemplating the possibility of giving her baby up for adoption, which Trina, newly embracing of her faith, regards as ungodly.

Her own parents are way out of the picture. The only person who seems to be in her corner is Mel (Keta Price), who hangs around a lot at their motel and potentially sees herself as a romantic partner and protector for Gia. There is also Carmen (Erika Alexander), who runs various programs for challenged mothers and coordinates the potential adoption.

Gia leans on Carmen, but worries that her real loyalties (read $$$) lie with the adoptive families. She finds a wholesome, upper-middle-class Black family as potential adoptees; Bokeem Woodbine and Sharon Duncan-Brewster play the couple. Gia actually finds the most immediate connection with their teen daughter, Amber (Kamaya Jones), embracing the idea of the baby having an older sister to protect her.

We see Gia do a lot of things over the course of the story, some of which stoke our empathy for her, others that disappoint us. She goes to the park just so she can snatch diapers out of the unattended baby strollers of bougie parents. She slaps the papers out of the hands of her case worker because Gia thinks she is being disrespected.

Despite this bad behavior, the audience grows very protective of Gia. We want her to do better and achieve her dream of being a true mother again. We also see the mountain of obstacles that confronts her. “God gives His strongest children the biggest challenges,” Trina says.

Every day at her portrait job, Gia has to look upon happy people celebrating big events in their lives: a wedding, a new child, a graduation, etc. She sees their smiling faces and a smaller one is reflected on her own. Gia is outside looking in on the “normal” lives that are taken for granted; a snapshot is all she gets.

“Earth Mama” is an enriching and profoundly human portrait of the sort of struggles happening around us right now, unseen and unsympathized. It’s also a story about how love can be the one true saving grace for everyone.