To open this third issue of Ombilic, I have two recommendations. The first is of course to invite you to read straightaway the very interesting work proposed by Bernard Seynhaeve and Sergio Caretto. Their texts, respectively entitled “(Un)desired child” and “In disruption: traces of the parlêtre,” invite us to consider the theme of the next Pipol Congress both from the point of view of subjective division and the disruption of jouissance.
My second, more personal, recommendation is in line with the questions raised by the two texts. I invite you to see a film: “Ema” (2019) by Chilean director Pablo Larraín with Mariana Di Girólamo and Gabriel García Bernal.
His intrigue begins in the aftermath of a parental resignation. Ema and Gastòn separated themselves from Polo, a 6-year-old boy they had adopted a year earlier. Being responsible for the fire in which Ema’s sister sustained serious injuries to her face, Polo was sent back to the adoption services. The film tells the story of how, after this abandonment, Ema goes to find Polo and tries to get him back.
In my opinion, the main interest of the film lies in the breathtaking portrayal of Ema by Pablo Larraín, and especially in the stylish and straightforward approach he adopts in his depiction of her. In this respect, his staging is in line with the young woman’s style. Ema is straightforward. She affirms with determination that she “does what she wants.” This does not make her any less mysterious! Who is she? What makes her want a child so urgently? What, on the other hand, led her to separate herself from it? What is that fire that drives her so violently? Is there nothing to stop her? The excess of her desire is such that it shatters the moral, social and aesthetic barriers of those she takes with her on her journey (including the spectators), yet this does not prevent them from loving and following her. Quite the contrary!
With this new issue of Ombilic, like the film “Ema,” you can discover how “wanting a child” can be disruptive and divisive. I wish you to be carried away in your turn. Enjoy your reading!
Bibliography
Lacan J., « Journée des cartels de l’École freudienne de Paris, 10 juin 1970 », Lettre de l’École de la Cause freudienne, n°18, 1970.
Photographie : ©Film “Ema”
