Davo Hardy on the set of Mothers, Lovers and Others

Production has wrapped on the new indie feature film Mothers, Lovers and Others; a bold exploration of intimacy, parenthood and the complexity of modern relationships.

This new title from auteur writer/director Davo Hardy promises to be his most compelling and uncompromising film to date.

“I had a lot of success with Public Eye, despite the high level of sexual content that it had,” says Hardy, reflecting on his 2021 feature. 

“Audiences were confronted by the frank and unapologetic depiction of what the characters got up to behind closed doors – in the best possible way. I attribute that to how we marketed the film more towards European and arthouse cinema audiences, as opposed to the watered-down, conservative American market. Though all my films have the common thread of being somewhat ‘clothing-optional’ (pardon the pun), what sets Mothers, Lovers and Others apart is that it tells a love story between two men, in a mutual open-relationship. We meet these characters at a crucial turning point in their lives; both facing middle-age and the birth of their first child, via surrogacy.”

Where most love stories conclude with ‘I dos’, this one sets up the conflict from the very first scene.

“The film opens at a bisexual orgy, which we affectionately referred to as a ‘cuddle puddle’ on set,” explains co-producer Megan Thresher. 

“Our two protagonists, Graeme and Elijah, enter this space as regular guests and we quickly see that there is obvious tension between them. Elijah, having lived a promiscuous youth and comfortable with his looks, is content to have one last hurrah before ‘outgrowing’ the sex party lifestyle. Whereas his partner, Graeme, who he introduced to the concept of an open-relationship, and who sports a more prominent dad-bod and receding hairline, refuses to allow age or parenthood taper an end to his satisfying sex life.”

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So begins a thought-provoking and heartfelt journey of values and personal discovery, filled with laughter, tears and introspection. Delicately balancing poignant drama with wry, dark comedy, Mothers, Lovers and Others is the latest example of what audiences have come to expect from director Davo Hardy.

“The title refers to all the things that bring our characters their pain and their growth. All the reasons that keep them ambivalent about the central conflict,” Davo explains. 

“I’ve explored the Madonna/Whore Complex in Public Eye, but here, we really cannonball into it. While some audiences might be taken aback by some of the content and subject matter, I suspect most people can relate to the juiciest parts of their lives going on behind closely-guarded bedroom doors. We are also challenging societal misconceptions about non-traditional couples. The idea that open relationships or members of the LGBTQIA+ community, somehow lack the commitment or love to last long-term. We want to do our part to dispel that outdated assumption.”

But there is more going on than just Graeme and Elijah’s midlife crises.

“This is an ensemble story, so there are actually several interweaving plot lines. That’s partly why we open with the orgy. You get the sense that these characters gather to let their hair down, get their rocks off and have a good time, but when the party ends, they have to go back home to ‘normalcy’, whatever that means for them. And it’s that changing of masks that most people get very adept at. But, once again, there are mothers, lovers and others to contend with back at home.”

This is where we meet August, a Shibari master and jaded bachelor, played by Lindford Gilmour. “He would much rather tie a woman up than let her tie him down,” quips Thresher.

August is reluctantly made guardian to his estranged teenage niece, following a family crisis. And, perhaps for the first time, he encounters shame and secrecy about his line of work.

Mirroring this is Rodney, played by Axle James; an art teacher starting his first permanent teaching position with some severe Labrador energy. Though he is proactive at the organised adult parties, he treats his career as a sacred and separate space. So when other members of the faculty start to get a bit too close for comfort, Rodney is aghast to see his two worlds colliding.

All these tense threads braid together to form Mothers, Lovers and Others, a provocative and stirring dramedy. Mark your calendars for its September 2025 release.

For more information, trailers, and updates, visit Davo Hardy Films (www.davohardyfilms.com) or follow the film on social media (www.facebook.com/mothersloversandothers)

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