Feeling the weight of time passing and Rudean’s mortality, the filmmaker turns the camera towards this vibrant, electric woman who has always been reticent to tell her story. In the process, he creates a fuller picture of the woman who raised him while getting deeper insight into science as someone who pursued and then left the field.
Rudean’s life becomes a portal into larger questions about access, community, and representation in STEM, transforming a singular narrative into a communal journey of recognition. The filmmaker comes to see “the scientist” not only in his mother, but also in the everyday lives of families who support, inspire, and do science in ways that are rarely acknowledged by the mainstream.
My Mom, The Scientist views science not merely as a field of study, but as a mode of creativity, self-expression, spirituality, and world-building. The film asks: How have marginalized communities treated science as a practice deeply rooted in community, influenced by identity, and shaped by family experiences?