Film + Discussion: Wise Women - Five Midwives, Five Cultures

"Birth follows no script," this phrase symbolically represents Nicole Scherg's touching documentary that follows five midwives across four continents. In Ethiopia, Morocco, Nepal, Brazil, and Austria, it opens the doors to birthing spaces that are as diverse as the life realities of the women giving birth within them.

At the center are those who professionally and unwaveringly accompany the beginning of life: Genet Gebru, "Hajja" Aïcha El Fathi, Kanchan Mala Shrestha, Gunda Gutscher, and Sheila Santos. The midwives support this physiological process, which is universal and natural yet profoundly individual. With great sensitivity and impressive imagery, the film observes how differently birth is experienced across various cultures and how similar the accompanying emotions are. Between the operating room, birthing house, and village hut, Wise Women tells stories of trust, courage, and the strength of female solidarity.

Nicole Scherg and her all-female film team create a cinematic portrait of the essence of life itself: the miracle of birth and those who make it possible. A calm, wise, and deeply human film about what connects us all – our beginning.