Being Positive

A baby is removed at birth from her mother who has a serious drug problem. The child returns to her home five years later when the mother is free from drugs and a family therapist is assigned to the family. The mother requests help in regards to the child’s lack of attention when she speaks to her (she feels that the girl does not listen even though she ‘screams and yells’).

The family therapist records a 10-minute video from an everyday situation in the living room. The therapist analyses and edits the video. All malfunctioning communication is cut. Only 30 seconds are left and these are shown to the mother. In this sequence you only see the child’s face, in slow motion:

In the very beginning you hear the mother’s voice and the child immidiately looks up at her mother. It´s clear that the girl is very interested and wants to hear what the mother says.

The mother commented this video clip by saying: ‘how lovely and happy she looks . Can you make me a photo from the video?’ The therapist replies positively.

Two days later the mother calls and explains that it is not necessary for her to have the photo anyway – ‘because now she looks like this all the time.’