Victoria Mapplebeck, a 38-year-old freelance TV director, embarked on an emotional journey when she became pregnant with her son, Jim. She didn’t realize that the challenges of being a mother would interact with her health issues. Together, they would ignite an unexpected, transformative documentary project that she never saw coming. Today, Jim is 21 years old—he has gone on to study drama at university and develop his craft. He’s since emerged as a principal character in an upcoming documentary named “Motherboard,” documenting their efforts—and lives—over the past 20 years.
The film documents the journey of their relationship through a collection of intimate home videos, phone conversations, and text messages. Victoria asked OKRE for advice on the ethics of sharing her story. This counsel proved particularly critical considering that Jim first connected with his father at 14 years old. Victoria explained just how important it was to be authentic to their story. She said, “I will never know what he went through that made him decide to do these things.”
Jim’s formative years were a creative and performance explosion. He brought so much joy to his mother by performing his own composed songs and eventually dazzling audiences onstage with performances in school productions. This innate musicality developed into an overwhelming urge to create as a means to express himself. Jim’s was a big call – “You can’t make a film about parenting if you don’t film the shit.” He strongly feels that authenticity is the best way to represent all the happy and challenging experiences of parenthood.
Victoria had a huge inclination to chronicle lives based on her experience as a producer on “Motherboard.” Having personally battled breast cancer, she became even more passionate. For maybe her greatest fear was that she would not survive long enough to see Jim reach maturity. “From the beginning I’ve been trying to process painful life experiences behind a lens,” she said. Cancer takes control from you, and I felt I needed that control back. Looking for agency, I instead decided to film my full year of cancer treatment to explore the effects on family life.
As the filmmakers shot the film over 20 years on mobile phones, this method helps the viewer experience the growth of the couple’s relationship and their collective hurdles that they had to overcome together. Victoria filmed with full awareness to protect Jim from extra pressure. As she noted, “The hard days and the struggles are not documented in the moment, which I’ve long felt is a myth, that only the real-time stuff is valuable to capture…especially when you’re doorstepping.”
In these raw, honest conversations, the film shows the struggle and strain as well as the care and love that exists. Our most powerful moment came from Jim walking out of a volatile discussion. Victoria still recalled the closeness of that meeting’s firestorm. She said, “You just stormed out, and I didn’t know where you flew. I was afraid you would give her a disease through the air as you were yelling, ‘STFU! This special moment beautifully captured the authenticity of their relationship during challenging moments.
As Jim forged his path into adulthood, he experienced the usual teenage angst. He played the fool, failed his classes, causing serious stress and strife during Victoria’s course of treatment. Despite these challenges, he expressed a neutral view towards his father, stating, “I don’t hate him at all. Don’t even dislike him… I know I’ve got a dad out there, but I am very, very happy with my current family.”
Victoria made clear that it was never her goal to call anyone out or shame anyone who played a role in their story. “I don’t want to get into the kind of internet sleuthery,” she said. The idea of trying to get inside Scorsese’s head really struck me as a lightbulb moment of like, ‘I don’t want to do this. This collectible creative writing process helped create a space where both the mother and son could express their truth without fear of being judged or bashed.
Along the way to creating “Motherboard,” Jim realized he was part of the story the film was capturing. Ever since, people can say I made the film for my mum,” he added. There was no little devil on my shoulder saying, ‘Do this for her. Had I not been interested in making the film, it would never have happened. His investment in the project has made for some intimate conversations between the two of them, solidifying their connection.
Victoria is a professor of digital media at Royal Holloway, University of London. There, she fiercely imparts her wisdom and experiences with her students. She is proud of how “Motherboard” showcases the ups-and-downs of family life and the honest truths about being a parent.
As they continue to navigate their relationship in the wake of shared hardships, both mother and son are learning from each other’s perspectives. In one reflective moment, Victoria mentioned how Jim’s words struck her deeply: “When he said he couldn’t wait to be old enough to move out, that was like a dagger through the heart.”
Its grittily realistic exploration of their lives felt fresh and new at a time when audiences craved and connected to the brutal honesty about parenting. It documents their moments of vulnerability as much as joy while they navigate the trials and tribulations of everyday life together.