Motherhood in prison - Film tonight Tuesday 12 April at 20:00

Milk and Iron – Leite e Ferro by Claudia Priscilla Goifman  " Brilliant film" showing tonight.Motherhood in prison  Kathy’s seventh and last review at the Visions du Réel festival. “Milk and Iron” will be shown again tonight on 12th April at 20:00 at the Capitole 2 Cinema. This is a European premiere and Kathy says;"I highly recommend this movie.”  Kathy says, “The hall was packed, every single seat was occupied. After seeing the movie I understood why, it was brilliant. This is the story of a women’s prison in Sao Paolo, Brazil. I didn’t know they had special prisons for mother and child to be together for the first four months. Claudia, the film director had the idea of the movie when she became a mother herself. She wondered what it meant to be a mother under these circumstances. Four months with their baby We are taken into the world of early motherhood. This prison is different from other prisons: it is only for mothers and their newborn. Here they can spend the first four months very close to their child. The camera zooms into scenes where the mother dresses, sings, bathes and breastfeeds her baby. The proximity of the mother and child is beautiful. It gives the impression that no exterior element can change that. As the mothers snuggle and play with their babies they express their overflowing happiness. Drugs, Sex and Alcohol Luana, the oldest prisoner, has been in and out of jail many times and this is not her first child. She grew up on the streets, fending for herself when the family could not take care of her anymore. She was always naturally curious and easily went up to people. She began stealing little things to eat and later made friends with an older man who made her steal for him. She slipped into drugs and injected the poison into her veins when she was pregnant with her first child at thirteen. The others mothers listen to her endless stories and laugh, confessing their own experiences. Most of them had similar experiences: bad treatment from men, being infected by aids, drinking, selling drugs and surviving an overdose. Community and Religion There is a strong sense of community in the prison. The mothers are often seen sitting together sharing experiences, watching a movie or music video. They exchange advice, keep an eye on each other and give each other mutual help and companionship. The prisoners in turn clean their cells and the common hallways. Religion is also a strong part of their daily life. Luana and her friends are often seen praying or singing together. Prison routine Even though they are mothers they cannot leave the prison. Their uniform consists of a white t-shirt and yellow pant. Most of mothers are happy to have this protected time with their babies. One woman says it is better she spends her time here taking care of her newborn instead of living on the street selling drugs or stealing. Everything is available for the child: clothes, diapers, soap, baby carriage, and plastic bathtub. The rooms are colourfully decorated with pictures and drawings the mothers have made. Meals are delivered and distributed by the prisoners. The children are continuously being breastfed. Separation Each mother knows that these four special months are bound to end. They can give the baby to be cared for by a family member or friend once the time if up. If the family or friend does not show up on the given day the baby will be immediately be handed over to an institution or filed for adoption. The mothers will then be transferred to their former prison to finish their sentence before they can be united with their child again.  Film in Portuguese, Subtitles in English and French