Austrian Documentary “Wellen Wende” Offers an Unvarnished Look at Early Motherhood

“Wellen Wende,” directed by Josephine Ahnelt, follows five Austrian women through the first year after giving birth. The documentary captures moments ranging from the routine—such as a mother trimming her infant’s tiny fingernails—to the emotionally charged, like the frustration of unmet expectations about maternal love. By filming on 16 mm with an intimate, home-video style, Ahnelt foregrounds the physical and psychological realities of new motherhood rather than idealized portrayals.

The Guardian

One of the participants, artist Judith Rohrmoser, contributes a self-portrait of herself breastfeeding while defiantly raising two fingers toward the traditional Madonna-and-child iconography. In the painting, her baby feeds contentedly, while Rohrmoser herself appears stern, headphones on, eyes conveying a mixture of grief and the sense that “everything has changed.” The artwork underscores the film’s theme that motherhood is not a perpetual state of bliss.

The Guardian

The women narrate their experiences in voice-over. A recurring sentiment is that the all-encompassing love often promised by society arrives gradually, not instantly. Another mother describes judgment she faces for bottle-feeding after struggling with breastfeeding. A third reflects on the unexpected ways her relationship with her partner has shifted since the baby’s arrival. These testimonies collectively paint motherhood as a blend of exhaustion, joy, boredom, wonder, and occasional “glazed-over” moments reminiscent of a soldier’s fatigue after a week in the trenches.

The Guardian

The review characterizes the documentary as “gentle but truthful,” emphasizing its refusal to romanticize early parenthood. By focusing on everyday details—such as the tactile affection of massaging a baby’s thighs—the film invites viewers to recognize the complexity behind the cultural myth of maternal bliss. The critique suggests that the film succeeds in presenting a nuanced, realistic portrait of the first year of motherhood.

The Guardian