The Roku Originals documentary, “Gamechangers: Mother/Athlete,” made its world premiere at the 24th annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF) on Sunday afternoon. The intimate film is part of Roku’s “Gamechangers” series and follows WNBA stars Sheryl Swoopes, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Bria Hartley, Natalie Achonwa and Allison Feaster as they reflect on the joys and challenges of navigating pregnancy, postpartum and motherhood as professional athletes.
“I think as viewers, as a public, we often see our athletes as heroes. They’re also human beings, and they’re dealing with a lot of the same day-to-day issues that we deal with,” director Christine Turner told me during a Q&A following the screening. As a storyteller and as a filmmaker generally, it’s always my hope and my goal to tell the stories of complex, multifaceted, multidimensional individuals. It’s important because everyone out there needs to see and understand that.”
Swoopes, who was the first woman to sign on to play in the WNBA during its inaugural season in 1997, got pregnant just ahead of the league’s first year. In the documentary, she reflects on how terrified she was to share her pregnancy with her team and with the public.
