Childhood Trauma: An Analysis Of The Movie Capernaum

Abstract

Stories about childhood trauma are often communicated through many mediums. The movie Capernaum revolves around a twelve-year-old Lebanese boy, who sues his own parents because they gave birth to him despite knowing about the miserable life he’s going to lead. The movie dives into the life of Zain and his family. The children work odd jobs, Zain’s sister becomes a victim of child marriage, Zain running away from home and stabbing someone, all accumulate to represent how it impacts the protagonist of the movie. This all lead to long – term psychological trauma and on existential crises in their life. At the age of playing and studying, Zain is in search of food and money to take care of his kindred. And he is willing to do any job for that matter. Although he is lonely, he is fighting for justice. The movie 'Capernaum' is a revolution. Zain is an illustration of many children who are suffering in many corners of the world. There are places like this, there are many lives like this. We are privileged by the fact that we are not born at that particular place. The movie conveys a message that, adults who can't raise the kids should not have any. Moreover, quoting Benyamin " The lives we do not experience are just stories for us..."