EPISODE RELEASE: "Filmmaker at Midlife"
In conversation with Brooke Berman
For an entire career, Brooke Berman has trusted her stories to other directors and producers. But when she birthed Ramona at Midlife, she knew that the only director she could trust was herself. The result is a film that, as Brooke says, “is conversation with the inner logic” of the story.
The title character is, like Brooke, a writer and a mom. But unlike Brooke, Ramona has not advanced in her career, and she starts the film blaming others. If this were a Hollywood film, Brooke concedes, it might feature an all-out revenge scene. But in this thoughtful exploration of a woman’s struggle to balance career, love, motherhood, friendship, and art, Ramona discovers that her nemesis is neither of the men that she struggles with.
“ I think you can tell women's stories without demonizing men,” Brooke explains. “[In Ramona at Midlife], the men are not the problem. The marriage is not the problem. The filmmaker is not the problem. The problem is inside of her and she, to her credit, figures that out.”
Listen to how a lifetime of training, from acting and writing for the stage to becoming a mom, prepared Brooke to become a director at midlife.
Related:
Woman holds the knife on the sharp side
Last week I was listening to the radio in the car and I heard a musician from Lesotho mention a proverb: “Woman holds the knife on the sharp side.” In Lesotho this means "women are strong and persevere." But when I thought of a modern American woman holding a knife on the sharp edge, three words occurred to me: Brave. Foolhardy. Practical.
Writer holds the knife on the sharp side
I’m working on the next episode of The Babblery, coming out next week, which features first-time film director Brooke Berman. Her film, Ramona at Midlife, is a film about middle-aged women made by middle-aged women, and it’s a refreshing change for women looking for deeper explorations of our lives.
In case you missed it, last month’s episode:
The morning of our Martin Luther King, Jr. Day March here on the Central Coast of California, I made a decision. I had thought to wallow in my despair at the correspondence of two such different events: MLK Day and the inauguration of a man who was MLK’s antithesis. Instead, I decide to grab my recorder and go to the march. The result is a compilation of women’s voices and a meditation on liberal values.
I'm feeling very deja vu-ish that we have been in this position, that we find ourselves in this position again, except this time, I think it's going to be a lot more severe, a lot more dire. I'm very concerned about the safety of our community and friends and families who are immigrants.
-Anita Aguirre, CEO, Santa Cruz Community Health Centers
Listening options:
The full episode: “A Walk through Santa Cruz”
Minibabble: “Getting to Know Us – Liberal women in coastal California”
Syndication news:
The Babblery’s short episode, “Getting to Know Us – Liberal women in coastal California” was heard around the world thanks to Women’s International News Gathering Service (WINGS). Our mini episode “Love is the Antidote” featuring neuroscientist and meditation teacher Nicole Tetreault was broadcast internationally through Pacific Sprouts.
Thank you! Please keep in touch
The Babblery benefits from your interaction. Please “heart” and comment on our posts, and share them with others who may be interested. Feel free to reach out anytime!
Thank you Suki! This was fantastic -- I loved talking to you!