The Labour of Pain and Joy

Birth is one of the most natural yet most regulated experiences in a woman’s life. Why does society still dictate where and how it should happen, and why is giving birth at home seen as a radical, almost rebellious act? Finnish documentarian Karoliina Gröndahl explores these questions in her deeply personal and unflinchingly honest film. Following several pregnant women, as well as midwife Kirsi and doula Anna-Riitta, she examines childbirth as both a physical and spiritual experience where trust and choice matter more than medical protocol. Her camera captures, with raw precision, the physical and emotional intensity of women in labor rooms, where the miracle of life coexists with pain, fear, and the struggle to maintain control over one’s own body.

Original language: Finnish

Subtitles: Belarusian, English