Mother Of Chooks
Directors: Jesse Samos Leaman and Maite Martin Samos
Cast:Elaine Janes
Crew:Producer: Maite Martin Samos.
Email:leamanfilms@gmail.com
Synopsis
After losing her sister, Elaine discovers a surprising new companion in a chicken named Flapper. Now, with a flock of chooks and a mission to change how people see them, she’s become a local legend, The Mother of Chooks.
Trailer
About the directors
Jesse Samos Leaman - I’m an Australian/Spanish Writer and Director, born and raised in Geelong. My heritage and personal experiences—including living with a mild tic disorder—shape my commitment to telling authentic stories and representing underrepresented voices.
My debut short film Lorne, starring Guy Pearce, premiered at the Palm Springs Film Festival, toured international festivals, and received multiple awards. Later distributed on the premium YouTube channel Omeleto, it attracted 270k views and garnered critical acclaim. Since Lorne, my short film Mad Martha—now available on SBS On Demand—has won multiple awards for direction and cinematography at international festivals. I've also expanded into documentary work and music videos, directing for artists like Aria-nominated Masked Wolf and acclaimed singer-songwriter Didirri, collectively reaching tens of millions of views. My video Skin earned a Best Director Award from ARFF Barcelona, along with Best Production and an Honourable Mention at the International Music Video Awards. I was also nominated for Best Direction in a music video at the 2023 Australian Directors Guild Awards (ADG) for Didirri ‘Often Broken’. Currently, I’m developing a debut feature film with co-writer Taylor Adams, building on the success of Lorne.
Maite Martin Samos - Maite Martin Samos has had a love for film making since an early age, always driving her family crazy by constantly sticking a camera in front of their faces. After pursuing a career as a teacher and then raising three boys, she has reignited her passion for film by diving head first into this documentary piece with her son and co-director Jesse Samos Leaman.
Filmmakers' note
With the world as it is today, we need a story that is not only heartwarming, but inspires compassion and love for all things.
After meeting Elaine and how much she can teach a chook, she inspired us to tell her story with a focus on the chooks. She loves them, and I think everyone will love her.
This documentary was a labour of love, we started before covid, and lost some chickens along the way changing the very shape of our documentary. Even at the finish line, after picture locking this project Jesse was robbed, his car broken into, drives and computer with the final project gone. With a can do attitude inspired from our subject Elaine, we set the task of recutting a month of work together to make this project once again ready to see the world.
We are so proud that we have made it to the end and can now share this with the world.