4 hours ago - Culture

D.C. film examines motherhood, challenges Hollywood age norms

Mimi Montgomery

Person in a blue hoodie kneels on a wooden floor, facing a bright vertical blue light by a white door frame in a blue-tinted room; white sneakers lie nearby. — Image: Courtesy of "The Other You"

There's a new locally-made movie to stream that focuses on the tensions between motherhood and ambition.

Why it matters: Older women are largely underrepresented in the film industry.

But all the higher-ups behind this project — the screenwriter, director, casting director, cinematographer and the producer — are D.C.-area women over the age of 40.

State of play: "The Other You" focuses on the toll of invisible labor that mothers tend to assume to keep their households running.

It follows a writer and mother of three who's frustrated with carrying the mental load for her family.
But one day she finds a magic portal in her closet that transports her to an alternate universe where her family is helpful, she has time to write, and everything is seemingly perfect — that is, until she realizes it isn't.

It was filmed in Alexandria and is the winner of several local awards, including Best Metro D.C. Film at the D.C. Independent Film Festival.

What they're saying: Julie Gold, the film's Bethesda-based screenwriter, says it was a "spiritual" experience to work on a project with other women her age.

"It's so hard to find parts that aren't just supposed to be for 22-year-old gorgeous people," says Gold. "So it's satisfying to have talented people working when maybe they would be pushed out from stories."
Gold and all the project's high-level creatives connected via the D.C. group Women in Film & Video, which provides networking and education for locals.

Where to watch: "The Other You" is now streaming on platforms like Amazon, Google Play, YouTube TV and Fandango.

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D.C. film examines motherhood, challenges Hollywood age norms

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