In film and in daily life, mothers are expected to sacrifice themselves for their families—so much so that it has become socially acceptable for women to be torn apart by sharks if that is what is required for modern families to function.

“Instead of focusing on the magical connection between octopus and human found in ‘My Octopus Teacher,’ we could focus on the fact that only through a mother’s demise was a father able to connect with his own child in a new way.”