"Over the Kitchen Table": An Insightful and Moving Documentary

There are so many stories hidden in the world.

“Over the Kitchen Table” is a documentary short by filmmaker Nisha Burton. In the documentary, Nisha speaks with her mother, Norma Burton, about her experience in the Battered Women’s Movement and building the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence in the 1970s-80s.

I saw “Over the Kitchen Table” at the Lois Weber Film Festival. This informative and moving documentary shared insightful stories on trauma from domestic violence cases over decades of arguments, victories, and continued work to bring peace at home.

Filmmaking has always been Nisha Burton’s greatest passion. She’s been making films ever since she was a kid with her mother’s VHS camera. Burton studied film at Idyllwild Arts, an arts high school in California, Bard College, and the University of Oregon. She has since screened her films at film festivals, including Cannes.

“Filmmaking is my first creative passion, especially documentary, because of the ability it gives me to share important stories and preserve voices that might otherwise be lost,” said Nisha.

The documentary focuses on her mother, Norma Burton, a child protective services worker who became the director for Domestic Violence Intervention Services (DVIS), the first battered women’s shelter in the 1970s.

While helping rescue abused children from their homes, Norma said she realized a horrible truth: the children’s mothers were facing harm, too.

Since Nisha grew up hearing her mother’s stories, she worked hard to develop her skills as a filmmaker to one day tell the story. “I felt this responsibility as her daughter, but also as a filmmaker, to make sure her story and the stories of women like her don’t disappear again,” Nisha said.

Filming took place at the Burtons’ then-home in Ashland, Oregon. Nisha said that filming it in their home offered a comforting sense and strengthened the metaphor of how women gathered in secret during the movement.

In the documentary, Nisha and Norma sit at the kitchen table and discuss stories from her mother’s past. I also like how the conversation moves into the kitchen with Norma cooking. It was a break and added more to the scene.

Conversations revolved around Norma’s time in child protective services, the movements' secret meetings at other kitchen tables, and taking action in court. They have deep conversations and comfort one another when Norma tearfully recounts unsettling dark moments of death threats and political backlash.

One element that I was not expecting was the animation between scenes. Burton collaborated with animator Daniela Repas and motion-graphics artist Jayson Wynkoop to illustrate moments in time. Nisha said she wanted a unique way to reflect memories.

While filming lasted one day, the full production took years. Nisha spent time finalizing research, the animation, and any element that would honor her mother’s story. The film was a complete collaboration between Nisha and Norma, exploring the right ways to convey the story.

The documentary is a heartwarming depiction of a mother-daughter bond. Nisha said filming the conversation was very emotional, but worthwhile.

“One of the most meaningful parts of this experience has been sharing it with my daughter,” Norma said. “As a lifelong advocate for women’s rights, it fulfills something in me to see the next generation carry this work forward.”

The short documentary has resonated positively at film festivals, where Nisha said it won awards, moved audiences, and has helped others speak out.

Norma adds that “Over the Kitchen Table” raises awareness for domestic violence, which sadly is still occurring behind closed doors.

“Breaking the silence lifts these experiences out of isolation and grief, and transforms them into something that can inspire awareness, action, and change,” Norma said.

You never know what stories are out there, and documentaries like “Over the Kitchen Table” emphasize the importance of keeping stories alive. This is a powerful documentary for the world to sit down and have conversations.