A Maculate Non-conception Synopsis
Inna Denisova, the director, who’s turning 40, is advised to start IVF treatment immediately. Inna is not married, her boyfriend doesn’t want children, and Russia doesn’t provide singles with any support for IVF treatment. Following her path, she meets women in a similar situation. One, married after 40, gave up the idea of motherhood. The other doesn’t want to be a single parent. The next single has the embryo with a donor’s sperm.
Another made an agreement with her gay friend. One became depressed after 3 unsuccessful attempts. One doubts if she wants the treatment. Another has a contract to work abroad, making the process difficult. 8 women worldwide, 8 different stories. The IVF specialist, the therapist, the astrologist of the Indian Vedic tradition, the Orthodox priest, all arguing about infertility and late childbirth.
About A Maculate Non-conception Filmmaker
Inna Denisova is a Russian journalist and filmmaker. Graduated from Moscow State University as a teacher of Russian language and literature, she started her career as a musical journalist and film critic. She has worked for media platforms including Time Out, Hollywood Reporter, Interview, Radio Liberty (Radio Free Europe) and many other Russian sources. In 2007, she entered the High Courses of Script-Writers and Directors and studied script-writing.
Her first documentary ‘Back Home’ was released 1 year after Russia’s annexation of the Crimea and based on her personal experience as a native Crimean. The World Premiere of the movie was 28.10.2015 on the Leipzig. Doc. Film Festival. The film was shown in many festivals and received special mention in Film Festival Cottbus (Germany) and One World Bruxelles (Belgium). During the years 2015-2017, she was the part of the documentary projects ‘The signs of life’ on Radio Liberty (Radio Free Europe).
Throughout her years, she has produced more than 20 short documentaries. The 13-minute film “Fire, come with me” was shown at ArtDocFest Moscow Festival. Her 2nd full-length documentary is also based on her personal experiences.
More from A Maculate Non-conception Filmmaker
The age of conceiving a child in the modern world is increasing. Less and less women want to give birth at a young age. 20s are the new 30s, and 30s are the new 40s. A Maculate Non-conception is a portrait of a generation born in the same year when IVF was invented, who grew up together with the scientific researchers inventing new options, such as oocytes cryo-conservation; the generation of modern women, who start thinking about motherhood close to the age of 40.
Time being youths was broadened thanks to modern world options, however, the problem of biological age for reproduction remains: it may be hard to conceive after 40. And it’s almost impossible to do it naturally. And not easily with IVF, which is nowadays seen as a placebo.
The movie tells different stories of the women who faced this problem and touches different aspects of their lives. Is it possible to live a happy family life without children? What if you are 40+ and don’t have a partner? What is the percentage of IVF successful cases? And what’s the age limit? The director, who overcomes this problem herself, meets 8 women with their private cases – some gave up the idea of having a child, some ready to sacrifice everything, all their force and money, some in depression after unsuccessful IVF cases, some in doubt as to whether to opt for the process.
A Maculate Non-conception exposes the mismatch of the modern women’s requests, desires, and possibilities with their natural capabilities to conceive is a question, which bothers many women on the planet. Ethics and legislation surrounding IVF are not regulated either. The processes of oocyte cryo-conservation and egg donation are being discussed in different ways in different societies. Some – including developed countries – ban donation due to ethical concerns. Some insist on non-anonymous donations and ban the selling of the biological material. The situation is quite new in the ethical and legislative spheres, and it has been passionately discussed.
