From Fringe to Prime Time: the Rapid Evolution of Two-Mom Visibility
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
By the late 2010s, queer cinema narratives began moving past coming-out angst to embrace the raw mechanics of family building. A defining work in this movement arrived with the 2018 Italian drama Mom + Mom (originally titled Mamma + Mamma), directed by Karole Di Tommaso. Rather than framing lesbian motherhood as an abstract political debate, Di Tommaso crafted an autobiographical, deeply tactile portrait of two women navigating the bureaucracy of conception.
Starring Linda Caridi as Karole and Maria Roveran as Ali, the film demystified assisted reproduction in film by zeroing in on the logistical grind: frozen vials, ovulation thermometers, medical travel, and administrative hurdles. Set against the backdrop of Italy’s rigid legal restrictions regarding reproductive rights, the narrative followed the couple’s journey across borders to a fertility clinic in Barcelona. The camera stayed tight on the quiet spaces, shared apartments, cramped train compartments, and waiting rooms, capturing the exhaustion and persistent humor required to build an unrecognized family.
Di Tommaso avoided melodramatic tragedy. Instead, she captured domestic realism: the sudden outbursts of laughter over botched medical instructions, the financial stress of recurring treatment cycles, and the shared anxiety of an uncertain biological clock. European critics praised Caridi’s performance for stripping away saintly tropes, presenting a prospective mother who was volatile, anxious, and relentlessly determined.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
