Motherland

'Motherland' takes the viewers into the heart of the planet's busiest maternity hospital in one of the world's poorest and most populous countries: the Philippines. The film acts like an unseen outsider dropped into the hospital's stream of activity, going through hallways, entering rooms and listening in on conversations. At first, the surrounding people are strangers, but as the film goes on, it's absorbingly intimate, rendering the women at the heart of an increasingly familiar story. It will end up focusing on three women, Lea, Aira and Lerma, that share their stories with other mothers, their families, doctors and social workers. While each of them faces daunting odds at home, their attitude of optimism, honesty and humor suggest a strength that they will certainly have to summon in the years ahead.

• Documentary