Cinema film with Bethesda midwives

Mrs Kühni, how did you come up with the idea of making a documentary about midwives?

My own pregnancy gave me the idea. I was cared for by the University Hospital in Bern during my pregnancy. There was always a different person at my appointments. In principle, there was nothing wrong with that, everything was done well. But I lacked a contact person with whom I could discuss any other questions I had. A friend then put me in touch with a midwife. This was a very positive experience for me. I hadn't realised that you can also be accompanied by a midwife during pregnancy. It also helped me to prepare for the birth and to decide where and with whom I wanted to give birth. So after the birth of my daughter, I started to look into the subject.

What was your experience of filming at Bethesda Hospital? It's not easy to imagine accompanying women in their most intimate moments with the camera?

The most important prerequisite was that the head midwife, Jeanette Gröbli at the time, was behind the project and prepared the ground internally. It is extremely important that people are informed and prepared. The project, and working in the presence of a film team, was of course not received equally positively by everyone.
We also respected those who did not want to be part of the film.
Then again, the midwives asked potential women whether they would like to take part in the film. They were always assured that they could change their decision afterwards. I think there are simply people who want to be in the film and others who don't. It was never about convincing anyone. It was either a yes or a no. Fortunately, that never changed afterwards.

How was the editing organised? How do you condense so much raw material into a documentary?

In the end, we had 160 hours of material and then had to make a 90-minute cinema film. That was a long process. We worked on the editing for two years and left out more and more, thus condensing the material. Ultimately, it's not that unusual for a documentary film of this kind. You make a script, but a lot of things can't be planned and are determined by chance. We didn't do any interviews, but tell the stories through observation. It's also part of obstetrics that a lot of things can't be planned. you have to put up with never knowing whether you'll end up with an exciting film! But that also makes making a film very exciting. The film is actually made in the edit. That's where the editor plays a central role.

What else is important to you about this project?

During the realisation of the film project, I noticed again and again how much personal commitment the midwives have for their profession, for their women and the expectant fathers. When a child was born at Bethesda Hospital, you could really feel it. They do everything in their power to ensure that the children have a good start and that the families have a good experience.
At the same time, the midwives always remain somewhat in the background. I hope that the film can make a contribution to the visibility of midwifery work and that people will exchange more with each other and share stories before and after this experience.

Thank you very much, Leila Kühni!

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