Stillness

9 children die of stillbirth a day in the UK. Stillness follows the journey of a photographer who strives to support a new family as they struggle with their loss.

A love letter to those comfortable with others grief and pain, Stillness follows Rose, a photographer who comes to a hospital to take remembrance photography of a family who have just lost their newborn. In writer and director Rachel Fowler’s own words, “I want to spark a conversation about grief and love, and the all too common occurrence of stillbirths. There is a stigma to taking these photos, and there shouldn’t be. These babies are part of a family, and these photos are evidence of a life. We can have the courage to include them in our stories, and we can have the grace to hold that space for those in pain.”

Speaking further on her decision to bring attention to the work done by Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, Fowler shares, “I recall my younger sister, a midwife, telling me the story of her first stillborn birth - how the parents wanted her to take the baby away so they wouldn’t have to see it. She spoke to them gently, telling them to hold the child, name the child, love the child, and say goodbye-helping them process the life and death of their child. I read about Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, and knew I wanted to write about their work. The gift of professional photographs to treasure a child, after such a loss, is a beautiful one.”