Mama Bears

‘Kyi approaches her subjects with a sensitive curiosity. She is not interested in vilifying these parents, nor does she attempt to construct unrealistically sympathetic portraits. Mama Bears charts a different course, one in which adults take accountability for their past thoughts and actions.‘

‘What Kyi beautifully captures through these two Mama Bears is the profound impact one can have when one chooses love instead of hate...Mama Bears is a touching Documentary that explores the complex intersections of politics, religion and unconditional love.‘

‘It is both a heartbreaking and uplifting portrait of families who have had their lives thrown into turmoil on a personal and increasingly, on a legislative level...."Mama Bears” has the potential to be a spark that ignites conversation and real change in how LGBTQ kids, and specifically trans youth, are seen by not only their families but their communities as well. Certainly, it has already caught the eyes of the SXSW festival judges who have nominated it for the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary Feature. Daresha Kyi has given us a beautiful film that shows that love, especially a mother’s love, can move mountains.‘

‘"Mama Bears, a new documentary by award-winning director Daresha Kyi, is a breath of fresh air at a time when it can feel especially hard for trans kids and their parents to breathe. Mama Bears is a story of the transformative power of unconditional love we should all be reminded of, especially in dark times…….It’s a powerful film, full of humanity and heart, but sadly many of the people who need to see it most won’t. Those who do are in for a powerful and beautiful experience.‘

‘What’s fascinating about Kyi’s approach, the thing that makes her documentary so gripping yet full of love, is how open and raw it is‘