Nicosia, Cyprus. A new documentary titled MAMMA by RESET and Filmhouse Pictures explores less discussed aspects of motherhood in Cyprus, including stress, fatigue, and support gaps. The project draws on research and lived experience, according to its creators.
Documentary origins and central question
Dr Eliza Patouris, co-founder and managing director of RESET, and Stephanie Kalavazidou, communication and impact manager at RESET, said MAMMA grew from personal questions they were both grappling with about motherhood and care in Cyprus.
They said that as their research progressed they repeatedly encountered accounts of women navigating motherhood within systems that take their care for granted, shaping a central question for the documentary: what it means to be a mother in a society that celebrates motherhood but rarely supports it.
Mental health highlighted as a widespread issue
The documentary highlights mental health as a critical issue for many mothers in Cyprus, which they said is not openly discussed enough.
They cited findings from a 2024 survey in which 86 per cent of 250 women said motherhood had negatively affected their mental health in the past year. They attributed declines in mental health to multiple factors including balancing paid work and caregiving, the absence of reliable support networks, and high-stress lifestyles, adding that burnout, postpartum depression, and anxiety are widespread.
Social pressures and the “double burden”
They said the strains of contemporary motherhood are not only psychological but also social, with mothers expected to meet professional and social demands without genuine assistance.
They described what they called a “double burden,” in which mothers are expected to manage household and childcare duties with the same intensity as decades ago while also maintaining full-time employment and meeting high-pressure parenting standards.
What support do you think would most help mothers balance work, caregiving, and mental health?