In the German film Two Mothers (Zwei Mütter), married couple Katja (Sabine Wolf) and Isabella (Karina Plachetka) want to start a family. However, they run into trouble when attempting to secure a sperm donor due to the inconsistent regulations of Germany’s laws. Want becomes desperation as the couple is turned down at multiple clinics, and have to search for alternative methods for insemination.
When they finally find a doctor willing to bypass the regulations, it becomes a financial drain and cracks begin to show in the couples’ otherwise solid relationship. It’s when the couple decides to go it alone in their search for a donor that things get exceedingly complicated for the couple. Unfortunately, it feels like we’ve been here so many times before when it comes to fictional lesbian couples trying to have children. Instead of coming together, the couple pulls apart as Katja’s desire to have a child puts the fidelity of her marriage with Isabella at risk. It highlights the frustration and inequality that many couples face when trying to have a child of their own.
Wolf and Plachetka are really quite fantastic in the film, and manage to keep you engaged even as the film dives into tropey territory. The characters are so different and, right from the start, you can feel a slight hesitancy just under Isabella’s surface. Have you ever loved someone so much that you are willing to put your own needs aside to help them fulfill their dreams? It’s a question that many couples face. As Katja becomes more and more obsessed with getting pregnant, Isabella finds herself becoming an outlier in her own marriage.
If you are willing to look past some of the classic lesbian tropes, Two Mothers is worth the time, especially if you are interested in films that delve into what makes relationships work, or tear us apart.
Two Mothers is available now through TLA Releasing.
