TINA TINA BO BINA

Tina Tina Bo Bina

Writer, Director, Producer, Editor

While preparing for a live performance where she will iron her belly stretch marks flat, an artist struggles to balance the expectations of motherhood while fulfilling her wild creative side.

Director’s Statement

All my recent films stem from the moment when I caught myself hiding a tampon in my sleeve so I could walk to the bathroom at work. It was as if I was ashamed of the bodily function that gave life to my two children, and every other person in the world. After rejecting this self-shaming, I decided to channel my punk rock days where our band would set up in the alleyways of downtown Tucson, playing power chords and not giving a damn.

Tina Tina Bo Bina captures this DIY punk rock spirit. It’s a mocumentary about a woman who pursues her passion for performance art. The challenge is that she’s also a mom and must juggle the conflicting experiences and expectations of motherhood and being an artist.

This film is very personal for my creative collaborator Andrea (the lead actor) and I. It’s a mid-life coming-of-age mocumentary, but we often joke that it is true documentary because it mimics real situations we often experience. In fact, the film’s sound editor called me in the middle of the mix and said, “This scene is my life.”

Our film will resonate with anyone in the audience who has ever pursued a dream; especially dreamers who face constant rejection yet have the courage to keep pushing.