Parenthood for couples can be anxiety and exciting to be able to raise one of their own children and fill their house with more laughter and joy but for many other couples it is not as easy, either one of the partners is barren or the unspeakable happens when a miscarriage occurs. 

“Pieces of a Woman” portrays an average Boston couple, Martha (Vanessa Kirby) and Sean (Shia Labeouf), on the edge of parenthood when a devastating home birth leaves the couple, especially the mother, childless and destroyed.

Martha suffered the most from the tragedy, trying to continue to forget this devastating event. She can’t let go, causing her relationship with Sean, her family, and her friends to go adrift, ostracizing herself from her loved ones.

Martha is numb. Physically, mentally and emotionally tired from her home birth, isolated from everyone that she holds dear to her heart.

The concept of this film stems from the pain and heartbreak that director Kornel Mundruczo and screenwriter Kata Weber felt after they had suffered a miscarriage. 

Director Kornel Mundruczo demonstrates how something as devastating as the loss of a child can leave more damage to the woman than the man, leaving literal pieces of a woman, shattered parts that are too wrecked to restore and mend back together, causing even more grief to the family. 

“Pieces of a Woman” is an agonizing, ragging, mesmerizing performance, especially with the birth scene which was just heart wrenching and breaking to watch, filled with self destruction and guilt. 

In an interview at, Encore France 24, Vanessa Kirby discusses her  preparation for this roll such as talking to many different  woman who have lost of child due to miscarriage and their experiences, especially with a woman named Kelly sharing her story with Vanessa says “Whatever you imagine, no matter how bad it is in your head, it’s a million times worse than that.”