Gloria Isabel Gómez Ceballos

Film

With Mères de naissance, I intervene in a hegemonic narrative about women’s bodies by superimposing video extracts that show the discourses that have restricted women’s reproductive autonomy.

Most of the archives in this film defend Church, family and capitalism values. These documents, from different countries and different eras, are kept by Latin American cinematheques and universities. By bringing them together, I am highlighting the importance of rethinking the memory of our rights in order to change the present and build a new future for children and teenagers who continue to be abused.

There is a very strong relationship between experimental film work and freedom, and this is of particular interest to me. It is no doubt why my film highlights women’s procreative autonomy. The archives, even if they date from the 20th century, allow us to reflect on the role of the mass media in gender inequality and violence.

As a woman and a Latin American filmmaker, I have a responsibility towards my country of origin and the struggles that surround me. The aim of my project is to strengthen our ability to make decisions about our own bodies, an autonomy that society has denied us as women. I seek to do this in particular by transforming the archives that underpin the discourse of coercion.

Gloria Isabel Gómez Ceballos

A Colombian filmmaker and teacher. Since 2013, Gloria Isabel Gómez Ceballos writes and directs films focusing on women’s rights, the film essay form, and grieving. In 2018 she co-founded El Cine Sana, a production and training company that has collaborated with the Medellin Cinematheque, ACDI/VOCA and the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Knowledge. In 2021 she was recognized by the Medellin Women’s Secretariat for her contribution to Antioquia’s audiovisual heritage. Her short films have won awards from UNODC and Unesco, and in 2019 she was selected for the Talents Buenos Aires programme organised by the Berlin Film Festival. After obtaining an MA *cum laude*, she continued with a PhD in Arts Studies and Practice, exploring participatory creation as a means of emancipation in the face of discourses of domination over women’s bodies.

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