The Last Partera

At nearly 100 years old, Doña Miriam Elizondo confronts the end of her life cycle, passing on her wisdom as the last living traditional Costa Rican midwife in the region. Inspired by her courage and strength, a new generation pushes for stronger women-centered healthcare at the foot of an active volcano.

THE LAST PARTERA is a documentary feature that follows Doña Miriam final years. Our story captures a portrait of her life and legacy while also looking at the changing face of women's rights and health. Doña Miriam’s influence spans far and wide, with her own descendants visiting her, as well as nurse-midwife and mentee Rebecca Turecky helping spread her legacy through communities of midwives, doulas, and students from around the world. The honorable and respected Doña Miriam, however, is no saint. While she blesses the mothers with a Catholic sign of the cross, she also teases her proteges, doles out sexual advice as a centenarian, and jokes about her own death. Doña Miriam is as human as she is divine.

THE LAST PARTERA had a sold-out world premiere at Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2025. The festival programmers called the film “a celebration of the profound, unwavering camaraderie and respect that unites [women], despite the challenges, and of the indomitable female spirit—a vital story in a time when women’s reproductive rights are more critical, and under threat, than ever.”

Visit TheLastPartera.com to learn more about the film.

Select Credits

Directed by Victoria Bouloubasis and Ned Phillips. Produced by Pilar Timpane.