Kneaded

Inspired by personal experiences both from my youth and adulthood, ‘Kneaded’ is a short drama that explores the importance of self-care for those who find themselves filling the role of primary caregiver within the cultural context of traditional Newfoundland family dynamics.

I aim to spark conversation regarding the importance of self-care among primary caregivers and provide commentary on the negative consequences of neglecting self-care and the heightened expectations that are often associated with those anchored in a deeply rooted island setting while, at the same time, touching on themes of codependence.

Throughout my life as a Newfoundlander and my professional career as a performer, actor, comedian, writer, and emerging filmmaker, one thing that has held constant is the importance of storytelling. Specifically sharing stories inspired by personal life experiences.

I have witnessed firsthand, as many of us have, the importance of self-care for those who find themselves in the role of primary caregiver, especially given the current challenges our healthcare system faces in a province with an aging population.

This is a story I feel needs to be told to raise awareness and shine a light on the necessity of balancing self-care with self-sacrifice. To highlight the importance of increasing the focus not only on our mental health but how important it is for us to pay attention to how much we do to care for ourselves, and our physical, psychological, spiritual, and emotional health to ensure a decent quality of life and prevent illness or endangerment.

“Set in 1980s outport Newfoundland, it examines relationships within traditional Newfoundland families and the conflicts that often arise when it comes to land inheritances.

Always overextending herself, Rosemary, the de-facto family anchor, is once again faced with resolving a family conflict as she believes it's her job to ‘save’ everyone. She has built her life around this purpose of taking on a self-sacrificial role in the family, partially due to loss of her own husband and son.

She feels needed and often finds herself fed up with feeling this way. Yet at the same time, she also fears not being needed, being alone and seeing her family torn apart despite the ebbs and flows of turmoil and ‘peace time.’

When her youngest brother asks her to intervene in a conflict between himself and their oldest brother, she is confronted with having to make a difficult decision."