Reflections on the Babies' Lifestyle in the Documentary "Babies"

Introduction

The film tells the story of four different babies that born and raised in 4 different places. There are babies from Namibia, Japan, Mongolia, and United States of America. Story begins with birth of babies and ends up with their first step scene. Each country has different lifestyle so that babies grows up in different cultures compared to one another. I will analyze it using DIE model.

Ponijia, Namibia

She grows up in tribal social group and often surrounded by people / mothers and other children/ in dusty village of Namibia. During the movie I rarely hear Ponijia’s cry even often fall asleep on her mother’s back while she was moving and working. She is always with someone even it’s just her young sister and brother. It is interesting that there is always human contact. First few months her mom always holding her on hand and next few months she strapped to her mother’s back. She grows up in the environment with everybody. As an evaluation, in the tribe culture, there is not a separation of child, adult, elders, and teenagers.

Everybody works together as a community so that baby interact with other babies as same age easily. But in this culture, raising a baby is seeming like only women responsibility because there was not scene that baby with her father comparison to Hattie, Bayarjargal, and Mary. In addition, the scene that moms applying red paste on their babies’ skin, children drinking muddy water from ground, how Ponijia’s mother cleaning her baby’s poop, fed up their babies outside seems like dirty and unhealthy, but there is no other better choice than those actions especially in that environment.

Mari, Japan

Mari born in Tokyo which is developed country. Mary’s parents are always working but responsibility of raising a baby seems quite equal. Her father takes care of baby, bath together, and look after her even he was doing work on computer. In my opinion, Japanese culture tends to closely pay attention to their child highly. For example, there was a scene that celebrate Mary’s birthday widely. She was discouraged and get easily angry when she failed while playing with her wooden toys. Maybe it was because of she thinks that things must be like this or her parents’ lifestyle affects Mari’s psychological development. As an evaluation, it is not good for child’s temper so I think parents should not expect too much from their children.

Hattie, United States of America

Her father takes him and goes to a parent child group to sing a chant, but Hattie got up and walked to the door. I think reason is even she is with someone else every time Hattie was playing alone and her mom teaches to her independent behavior. For me, she is the most individualistic child in these 4 children. Hattie’s mother seemed to be doing much more educational actions rather than playing with her. Hattie’s mom seeming really concerned about her educational development. She read book for Hattie and pool together, also concerned about her meal. As an evaluation, although taking action on educational development from this early day is good for child, babies should have interacted with babies and explore their environment.

Bayarjargal, Mongolia

In contrast other babies, Bayarjargal is often left alone on a bed and spends his early days nearly alone but seems to have great attachment to the animals. Although movie shows nomadic culture of Mongolia, scene that baby born in hospital proves that modern culture is growing more and more.