Ten Leaves Dilated // Director, Cinematographer, Animator

Co-Directed by Ebony Blanding

Ten Leaves Dilated is a documentary that uses the make-believe world crafted by Cabbage Patch Kids to examine discourses surrounding childbirth and motherhood in the American South. A household name in the 80s and 90s, Cabbage Patch Kids are plush dolls that are said to be born out of a head of cabbage. The headquarters, located in Cleveland, Georgia, offers an experience where children can watch their dolls being born through a simulated medical birth where store employees dressed as nurses act out birthing a babydoll from a cabbage patch. The film uses audio interviews of mothers, doulas, and birth professionals alongside a visual exploration of cabbage birthing myths and fairytales throughout history in order to investigate the modern-day cabbage patch fairy tale and its connection to the lack of candid discussion about birthing in our society.

More information: tenleavesdilated.com