Did you know that studies have found that babies in the womb are able to experience all of its mother’s emotions? The connection between mother and child from the moment of conception is truly remarkable!
Pregnancy is one of the most powerful experiences of motherhood, and the groundbreaking film “In Utero” attempts to explain how our own experiences as babies in the womb affects our personalities, levels of intelligence, and overall quality of life.
Learn more about these amazing scientific discoveries at the screen showing of In Utero.
Date: February 26, 2017
Time: 2:30PM to 6:30PM
Venue: SM Megamall Conference Center, Level 5, Bldg. B, Ortigas
Contact Person: Joana Lazaro, 0917-5996875 / (02) 994-9428
BONUS: There will be a 2-hour talk on childhood trauma and its effects on relationships, wealth, and health after the movie.
SYNOPSIS
Through enlightening and oftentimes poignant interviews with experts and pioneers, IN UTERO paints a complex tapestry of the human experience from conception to birth. Tapping into cultural myths, popular movies, and technological trends, the film demonstrates how our experiences in utero preoccupy us throughout our lives.
Experts in the fast-growing field of epigenetics explain that we are not only our genes but a product of our environment as well, a proven fact that changes our perception of stress and exposures to the environment during pregnancy. The film looks at how these environmental effects are passed down through the generations through our genes, making it scientifically plausible that a traumatic event that affected your grandma could leave a mark on your genes.
As if this weren’t eye-opening enough, the film reveals through extensive interviews with psychologists, psychiatrists and psychoanalysts that similar theories of prenatal life have been in play as early as the 1900’s, and have gained traction ever since. In that sense, the hard sciences are only just beginning to catch up with what others have been saying for decades.
Now, experts in all fields have begun to see the link between the state of the world and prenatal life. Open up the news any day and you’ll see an article about the prenatal period. In just the last few years, enormous strides have been made in understanding the biological, psychological and sociological impact of our time in the womb. Scientists at the Allen Institute for Brain Research discovered that disorders such as autism and schizophrenia begin before birth. In Michigan, researchers have developed MRI technology that is able to capture incredible images of a developing fetus’s brain, allowing them to study how areas of the brain begin to link up and coordinate activity.
Meanwhile, other scientists and psychologists are finding that prolonged stress such as poverty, and traumatic events such as Ferguson and 9/11 impact a developing fetus on a genetic level. Others have found that depressed or stressed mothers have higher 5 levels of the hormone cortisol, which negatively affects the fetus by constricting blood flow to the placenta. The list goes on. All of this research urges us to think about who we are and how the foundations of who we’ve become all began long before we were even born, and ultimately, how we can set our children up for better lives in the generations to come.
It’s clear that IN UTERO is an extremely timely and important film. Through interviews with midwives and prenatal psychologists, IN UTERO brings into focus a new field devoted to prenatal life. Time will tell how those whose lives are “known” from the beginning will lead us into the future.
PRAISE FOR “IN UTERO”
“Documentaries tackle tough subjects every day but a breakthrough documentary takes on a subject that people haven’t even thought about, let alone explored and come to a conclusion on. It takes a provocative and groundbreaking creative filmmaker to make a breakthrough documentary.” – Tonya Mantooth, Executive & Artistic Director of San Diego International Film Festival
“Essential and illuminating viewing for anyone touched by parenthood.” – Carl Spence, Artistic Director, Seattle International Film Festival
“In Utero exposed a science that I was not privy to. Director Kathleen Gyllenhaal put together an informative, fun and engaging film that challenges the status quo when it comes to child rearing. It was eye opening.” – Anderson Le, Director of Programming, Hawaii International Film Festival
“Overall this is definitely one of the best documentaries I’ve seen in years. It has both: an eye- opening quality and a replay value.” – Anna Jozwiak, CPH:DOX
“A mind bending look at just how early our life circumstances affect us, and why myths and fairy tales have the power to soothe us. An unmissable viewing experience if you have even an ounce of curiosity about the course of human events.” – Courtney Pledger, Executive Director, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
“A damning exposé on the health care issues facing women today.Filmmaker Kathleen Gyllenhaal uses testimonials from health care experts, as well as cutting edge research to remind everyone that a newborn baby is only as healthy as its mother.” – J. R. Kinnard, Sound On Sight
ONLINE REVIEWS
“Every single human on Mother Earth should watch this film. To understand that when somebody is pregnant, “everybody is pregnant” around her. The emotions, experiences, environment are a big impact on the mother and on that baby’s life right then and there, in the womb and will continue to be a huge impact on its (and others around him/her) whole life later on. All this starts at conception and implantation, continues throughout pregnancy and at birth and will accompany him/her throughout life. Be kind!” – Lev Peto, Amazon Reviews (★★★★★)
“In Utero completely changes what we’ve been taught about who we are, by shedding light on a 9 month period of our lives that most of us have never thought about before. The environment in which a mother carries her child can have a profound impact on her baby – particularly if it is filled with stress and trauma and other negative emotions. This may seem like it puts a tremendous burden and blame on mothers – but actually, it shows that we are ALL responsible for the children of the next generation. It is up to us to create a society in which women (and their partners) are better supported – so that they can carry their children in a healthy, peaceful environment and, ultimately, raise them into good, kind adults. From here, we can change the world.” – Marisa Keane, Amazon Reviews (★★★★★)
“Excellent film providing insight to the core challenges we all face to our own healing and the healing of our planet, In depth information, top notch research and simply the best of the best professionals all
meet up in this outstanding documentary. I highly recommend “In Utero” to anyone who is seeking to find themselves and a better understanding of others. Humanity’s deepest source of fear and anxiety has now been exposed and is ready for healing.” – Cy, Amazon Reviews (★★★★★)
“This hopeful film completely changed my perspective on my childhood and relationship with my parents. Before this film, I had not considered my time in utero, which I now understand to be a vital part of the human experience. Using examples from pop culture and movies, this film makes it clear that our time in utero is intertwined within our cultural consciousness. I walked away from this film with a deeper understanding of our interconnectedness as a species and a commitment to be more compassionate toward myself and others. This documentary is mandatory viewing for anyone who wants to ensure a better future for generations to come. Artfully constructed and beautifully scored, this film was both emotional and an urgent call to action. As someone who has had family affected by World War II, this film shed perspective on my family trauma and allowed me to empathize with my ancestry in 3 ways I could not do before. Thanks to the director for giving us the insight to see ourselves with compassion and self-love!”
– Emily Zaczek, Amazon Reviews (★★★★★)
