Cinematographer Rachel Morrison—whose numerous credits include Black Panther, Fruitvale Station, and an Oscar-nominated role on Mudbound— just wrapped a movie while 8 months pregnant and used the occasion to remind her followers and fans on Instagram that being pregnant is not an impediment to being great at your art.
“There’s a common misconception that likens pregnancy to some kind of disability— the idea that women who are pregnant shouldn’t be active and can’t go about their normal lives… While no two pregnancies are the same, I just want to say that for many to most women this isn’t the case at all,” began Morrison, whose Mudbound Oscar nod was the first time a woman has been nominated for Best Cinematography. “I just wrapped a feature #againstallenemies at 8+ months pregnant.”
She continued: “Now I’m on to a commercial and I plan to keep shooting for as long as anyone will hire me knowing in a few weeks I may have to replace myself if I go into labor on set… the point is I am NOT a superhero. I am just going about my life doing the thing that I love for as long as I can because the more I work before baby the longer I can take off after. Which should also be MY choice and no one else’s. Physically speaking I could have gone back to work within a week of having my son. At the time, I lost many jobs because people were nervous to hire me so soon after the birth but again I say this should be left up to us. Pregnancy and motherhood in general is not a disadvantage and the craft doesn’t suffer as a result. If anything the added experience and enhanced empathy has made me a better cinematographer and filmmaker. That’s all. Happy Friday! #femalefilmmakerfriday #shootfilm #cseries #panavisionofficial ? by @loganwhitephoto”
Morrison—, ever—noted that she “lost many jobs because people were nervous to hire me so soon after” the birth of her first child a few years back. “But again I say this should be left up to us. Pregnancy and motherhood in general is not a disadvantage and the craft doesn’t suffer as a result. If anything the added experience and enhanced empathy has made me a better cinematographer and filmmaker.”