Madison McLaren

Invisible Impressions

A short documentary about teeth and mothers.

“My mother’s stories have always been the most important things told to me. Her name is Mahalia, born and raised in Guyana, a Canadian since 1992. I’ve heard these stories over and over, all throughout my life. My mom always tells stories of her childhood from home in a vibrant way that makes me wish our car rides would never end. We could sit in the parking lot of our destination for hours if it means I get to listen to her share more of her past with me, even if I’ve already heard it before. These stories are so important to me because I know she lives and works hard for myself and my brother. I am only able to pursue a post-secondary education and a career in art because of her avid supportive behaviour throughout my life. Her stories of her early career in dentistry as a young immigrant brought me great insight into how hard she has had to work through the hardships and prejudices she experienced. I shot and edited this short film as a means of documenting my mother, her stories, and most importantly her experiences. Moving her life from Guyana to Canada, and then more throughout the country, has made keeping physical memories a challenge. My mother has had to lose important sentimental items connected to her family, and making this documentary has been my own form of archiving my mother and her life. Throughout filming, she often expressed the fact that she had to suppress most of her traumatic stories from her early career. She stated it was the only way to move on. I explored the theme of suppressing scarring experiences and the way they stick to the individual when gone unprocessed. These memories will live on as she has told them.”