The Dark Heart of Motherhood in Italy : Maternal Ambivalence in Contemporary Italian Film

Authors

  • Michelle Tarnopolsky University of Toronto Syracuse University (Florence, Italy)

Abstract

In a country where the maternal instinct is still considered a conditio sine qua non of being a woman, maternal ambivalence is one of the ultimate taboos. But Italian filmmakers are trying to change that. Four recent Italian films—Lo spazio bianco by Francesca Comencini (2009), Maternity Blues by Fabrizio Cattani (2011), Quando la notte by Cristina Comencini (2011), and Tutto parla di te by Alina Marazzi (2012)—use everything from single motherhood and postpartum depression to infanticide as a lens through which to approach this “unspeakable” topic. This article demonstrates how the archetype of the loving, self-sacrificing mother that lies at the heart of the Italian identity is also the source of its twenty-first-century motherhood crisis and that Italian women’s ambivalence about motherhood is paralleled by a national one: a deeply rooted contradiction between private worship and public lack of support.

Author Biography

Michelle Tarnopolsky, University of Toronto Syracuse University (Florence, Italy)

Michelle Tarnopolsky has an MA in art history from the University of Toronto and works at Syracuse University in Florence. In addition to leading student fieldtrips and translating academic articles, she also writes about women’s and gender issues in Italy as a freelance journalist and blogger (www.malafemminista.com).

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How to Cite

Tarnopolsky, M. (2017). The Dark Heart of Motherhood in Italy : Maternal Ambivalence in Contemporary Italian Film. Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement, 7(2). Retrieved from https://jarm3.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/jarm/article/view/40358