The Birth of Sybling - a documentary about Dissociation



	"In the beginning there was a man of might and valour. None who served before him could boast of such wisdom and position. The lord had blessed him with many riches but his greatest blessing was his child, a virgin daughter . . . "

a video by Liz Mac Dougall

The Birth of Sybling, an experimental documentary, is a collaborative effort between a group of women Survivors of childhood incest or abuse, and media artist Liz Mac Dougall. Together they create the story of Sybling, the archetypal child who is abused by her father and silenced by the state.

Sybling's plight is conveyed through animated scenes of ancient religious art, layers of sound, split screens and text that floats on and off screen. These techniques, along with a moving dialogue between the artist and the Survivors, express the role that dissociation plays as a coping mechanism. Their comments reveal both the comforts and traps of dissociation.

"This is not another heart-wrenching counselling video about the painful, long-term effects of incest. It is an inspired and refreshing perspective... an almost painless approach to a disturbing issue".

- review by university counsellor, Helen Vaughan

20:00 min

VHS, 3/4" or BetaSP

Detailed Description

The Birth of Sybling and Other Forms of Dissociation is a collaboration by video director Liz Mac Dougall and survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Together they create the story of Sybling, the archetypal child who is abused by her father and banished from her home. When taken into custody by the courts her plight worsens. As she speaks the truth about her abuse, the Judge names her the liar and orders her tongue cut out. The child now enters a world of dissociation.

The tale is set deep in our cultural past by stylistically echoing a biblical story or fable designed to warn a child of the dangers of abuse by a parent or trusted guardian.

Visually, Sybling`s ordeal is conveyed through animation, layers of sound, split screens and texts that float on and off screen. Through these techniques, along with a moving dialogue between Liz and the survivors we see how dissociation works as a coping mechanism in their lives.

Rather than reproduce the popular media`s often shallow and sensational portrayal of a dissociative person as having several frightening personalities, this group looks at the social context of abuse and chooses to focus on the silencing of the victim and the destructive results of not being believed.

Throughout the story the co-authors make attempts to re-write the story of abuse. Building sand castles with protective walls the participants relate their personal histories to that of the mythical child. In the video the four women discuss feelings of shame, anger and frustration at society`s investment in maintaining the silence of survivors. They speak about silencing through methods such as prescription medication, institutionalization or discounting their experiences as less than credible.

With its original and refreshing approach to a sensitive issue, The Birth of Sybling is anything but clinical. In using creative forms of artistic expression, animation and abstraction, these survivors are able to communicate more than just information about the issues surrounding childhood trauma. They tell us the feelings and needs of those living with dissociation in a language accessible to survivors.