Dear Talula on AllMovie

The intimate, highly personal nonfiction film Dear Talula documents a crisis that arose in director Lori Benson's life, shortly after she gave birth. As a new mother enjoying the vicissitudes of maternity, Benson suddenly received a call from her physician with the diagnosis of stage two breast cancer, that required a critical operation in a little over a week. The film follows Benson as she charts the complex and often confusing emotional landscape that ensues, with all of the requisite decisions, including spur-of-the-moment medical choices and various alternatives in the care of (and concern for) her newborn infant. Along the way, Benson's journey yields a deeper perception of herself, her body, and her roles as a mother and a woman, and brings her face to face with a greater appreciation of life and an immediate awareness of her own human transience. She ultimately devises the idea of capturing the experience, cinematically, as a record for her unborn daughter Talula, believing that in future years, the girl might gain valuable insights from the cinematic document. As loved ones gather around Lori, she opens up to the camera, sharing her most personal thoughts, observations, and conclusions about the struggle. Her words resonate with poignancy and depth but never sacrifice humor and grace.