A mother barricades in a motel room to protect her child.


LIONESS is used with permission from Molly E. Smith. Learn more at https://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.