The Self and Maternal Care: An Analysis of Rossella Schillachi's ‘Imprisoned Lullaby’

Abstract

This paper discusses the importance of the nature of maternal care as it determines healthy or unhealthy psychological development. The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that the ongoing quality of mother-infant interaction is more important than the issue of separation from the mother, as a close but unavailable mother or caregiver may cause extreme forms of trauma in the infant. Although attachment researchers have concentrated on the mother-child proximity and the disruptive effect of separation from the mother in the development of attachment theory, less attention has been directed towards the quality of caregiving processes that contribute to the formation and maintenance of secure attachment bonds across the lifespan. This study aims to fill this gap by showing the negative effects of suppressed and unresolved grief internalized by the mother on the mental and physical health of the child. To describe the importance of a good enough mother-child relationship, this study uses the method of textual analysis. Rossella Schillaci's documentary "Ninna Nanna Prigioniera (Imprisoned Lullaby)" provides a valuable framework to analyze how an insecure attachment between a mother and an infant can be disruptive for a child's self. The documentary follows the experience of a mother who chooses to keep her newborn and young child under three with her in prison. Roscella Schillachi illustrates the development of an insecure attachment between mother prisoner Yasmina and her daughter Lolita. The documentary film shows that unresolved traumas in a caregiver can lead to insecure or disorganized attachments in infants. Although several studies suggest that mother-child proximity during the first two years is crucial to develop a healthy sense of self, this analysis of documentary provides a different approach to the concept of separation and emphasizes that proximity to a mother with unresolved trauma disturb mother-infant attachment more than separation.