Perennial Midwifery: Cinecenta Film Screening

Join us on International Day of the Midwife and celebrate the Victoria release of the NSI StoryHive Telus Original short documentary: Perennial Midwifery!

TUES MAY 5th 2026 at 5PM
Location: Cinecenta - Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3LGofqWBVrN1dJoHA
Suggested Donation: $15 (PWYC)
Facebook event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1285561263110640 // Cinecenta event link: https://www.cinecenta.com/calendar/perennial-midwifery/

Synopsis:
The intergenerational story of two midwives who met and practiced in Sooke, BC: local legend Uta Herold, originally from Germany, and protégé Crystal Herie, originally from the Métis community in qathet (Powell River). Hear their remarkable tale of coming together, from fearful skeptic to fully educated convert, each setting out to bring circular care to regional birthing families through their nearly lost vocation. Midwifery, which was only 'legalized' or government regulated in BC in 1998, was nearly lost as a critical traditional community service and deeply needed local resource. Created by -former and current- Sooke regional residents: Lesley Marshall (writer, animator, director, editor, composer), Melanie Butler (associate producer), Jayne Walling (musical contributor), and Gavin Andrews (post-production). Featuring Uta Herold and Crystal Herie of Sooke Midwifery.

Presented with an encore screening of:

"Somos Parteiras (We Are Midwives)" (1999) 20min documentary by Gavin Andrews

At the turn of the millennium, on the edge of the Amazon River, traditional midwives from around the region come together to create a radio soap opera about their lives and experiences caring for women and newborns in their diverse communities. (In Portuguese with English subtitles)

Made by MAVN, Lesley Marshall:

Lesley Marshall is a multi-award-winning filmmaker, intermedia artist, current MFA candidate, and 2024-2026 resident fellow at UVic. Projection art, cinema and videography by Lesley has toured and screened nationally and internationally at over 120 festivals. They were the 2023 CMPA Diversity Mentorship Recipient and associate producer for the CBC/PBS feature Animal Pride (2025) and a commissioned animator for CBC’s The Nature of Things. Watch their previous documentary featuring their mom ;) CBC Digital Short "The Colour Orange". Lesley has presented on filmmaking technical ethics at the Royal Anthropological Institute Film Festival and Conference London UK, Visual Impetus & University of Victoria, University of Ottawa, CineVic, Carleton University and Surveillance and Society Conference in the Netherlands. Lesley is featured on Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, Vice, Exclaim!, Brooklyn Vegan, Aux, Rookie Mag, & Stereogum.

MAVNetwork: https://mavnetwork.webflow.io/

The film was created through the support of Creative BC, StoryHive, the National Screen Institute, and the BC Arts Council.

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