LIONESS | Omeleto Drama

A mother barricades in a motel room to protect her child.
LIONESS is used with permission from Molly E. Smith. Learn more at filmlioness.com.
A mother is hiding out in a motel room with her child. They've been through hell and back -- and the mother has the bruises to show for it -- and she is determined to protect her kid, barricading the motel room and on high alert at any little sound outside.
But even while the mother waits out the night, she's determined to protect her child's innocence, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. And in the long hours before dawn, she prepares another surprise for her little girl.
Directed by Molly E. Smith from a script written by Sara Oliva (who also plays the lead role of the mother), this short drama is a vignette, a poetic snapshot of a mother and child in the quiet of a storm, waiting out the tumult before they make their way to a safe harbor.
Told in small, intimate moments, there's very little dialogue, but the images insinuate plenty: dingy motel, cramped room, bruises around the wrists and neck, little girl sleeping in the bed as her mother keeps vigil, alert to the sounds outside their temporary refuge. The visuals are rendered in a careworn, almost dingy naturalism, tinged with shadows. But a spare, lovely piano musical score wafts in and out at moments, adding a note of tenderness and hinting that there's more to the story than just trauma and darkness.
As the night wears on, the mother springs into action, frantically tearing pages out of an old phone book and working on some project in the night. These actions are balanced by more internal moments, where she confronts her private pain and suffering in a way that she can't acknowledge when her child is around. As an actor, Oliva beautifully portrays the hunted wariness and demeanor of a woman grappling with abuse, but she also has the resolute determination and fierce love of a parent doing everything in her power to safeguard her child's safety and innocence. It's this love that has sprung her into action, changing their lives for the better.
LIONESS, then, is a tough and tender tribute to parenting against all odds. In the end, we see not just a parent's strength and resolve to protect a child, but also an equally deep-seated desire to create memories of joy. Preserving that sense of enchantment -- along with that fundamental innocence that is so fragile and evanescent -- is as important a part of childhood as basic safety and security. It also has a transformative power for both parent and child, giving hope in even the darkest hours before dawn.

[@sushilrai9144]

These short films are the best.

[@homayounsolaimani8856]

For me, this short is prime and solid example of true and authentic cinema. No unnecessary dialogues, special effects and more importantly form and content do not overpower one another, instead they are in complete alignment. Story line is also consists of layers, waiting for each audience to peal the layer, discovering the story for oneself.
Very powerful indeed
Kudos to each member who took part in making it.

[@mollysmith3869]

Hi! I was the director of this film!! Thank you so much for this kind comment. We really enjoyed making this film.

[@pennylane7943]

So good to see a plot in which the abused takes action to leave an abusive situation, finding the strength and beauty that lies within. ❤

[@SharonNolfi]

Sad but lovely all at once. I wish mom and daughter well in their new life.

[@salvatoremarchese4331]

Incredibly moving. Beautiful piece of work. Very touching, you can see all the emotion on her face

[@nick00100]

I love these short films

[@keithbrian7129]

Poignant and Powerful! So much in such a short film. Bravo!

[@MoonChild-po9du]

I had to see this twice

[@VeronnicaG2]

What the heck ! amazing !

[@justanotherfaceinthecrowd8573]

Oof! 🥹

[@000aleph]

And once again (it's getting tiresome): nothing against this film, it is well done. But overall, the bias against men and against showing sympathy for their issues is mind-boggling. It's all women women women who inevitably are portrayed as victims of male abuse. The reality is that women are perpetrators of DV as often as men, and overall are neither better nor worse then men. It's just that men are unviversally demonized while women are celebrated. Men are disadvantaged and women are favored. That's the big injustice running through Western societies courtesy of a cold and power-hungry movement called feminism. So, where are the films with a heart for men?

[@Prizzy999]

I've seen this before I'm sure. Today's supposed to be Women's Day worldwide but as a woman I do not celebrate, never do. What we want and need as women is not a single day of useless celebration but a whole life to live and be happy.
We want to live, we want to be free to make our own decisions, we want to get an education and choose the path we want to take in life.
All this is not negotiable!