I Am Mother: behind the scenes

Director Grant Sputore on how he brought his feature film debut I Am Mother to life.

Sputore, who came up with the story alongside writer Michael Lloyd Green, reveals how he was able to storyboard close to the entire film thanks to previsualisation technology. It also helped his approach to lighting and colour design with cinematographer Steve Annis, and production design with Hugh Bateup.

Sputore also explains how the robot Mother was brought to life through a “wildly collaborative” effort. This was thanks to voice actor Rose Byrne, and the Weta Workshop team, namely Tim Domett who puppeteered Mother’s face, and Luke Hawker who both created the suit and did the physical performance. 

“What makes it (sci-fi) great is when there’s something beneath that glossy surface and that there’s a human emotion, a human insight,” Sputore says. “And all the better if in addition to that thing that hits you in the heart, is something that can hit you in the head - it’s thought-provoking.”

I Am Mother is available on Netflix now.