If you haven’t watched “Encanto”, the 2021 Disney musical, and you are interested in intergenerational trauma, do it.
‘Trauma’ has become a buzzword in recent years, not a minute too early in the world in which we don’t talk much about expressing feelings, anger, family histories, our own beliefs and assumptions. The “Encanto ” is a good start for that talk; it gives us an easy, common, and funny language to use with friends, with children, with ourselves.
The story of a Colombian family that had to leave the country after losing everything may not look very familiar to all of us, until we start seeing how the entire family (three generations) adjusts to grandmother’s trauma.
The children of the family receive, at some point of their childhood, special gifts; either incredible strength, or the ability to create beauty, controlling the weather, switching faces like a chameleon, or understanding animals’ languages.
They live their lives limited to their “gifts”, just like many of us live our lives limited to our trauma responses. They also believe that their worth depends solely on their “special gifts”, and they cannot be loved and appreciated for being themselves. Sounds familiar now? They have no own needs, no worth, deserve no love as individuals; they exist only to support and work for the family and its good name.
Until one day the house (Encanto) created by generations starts to show some cracks in indestructible walls.
Until one day a little girl with no special gifts discovers that there are some stories (Bruno) that the family never talks about.
The creators of the movie did a wonderful job in translating the very heavy and serious theme to full of fun, expressive, and colourful animation. You almost have no time to think about what is happening in front of you. You just go with it until it stops you in your tracks. But once you see what it is about, you cannot ‘unsee’ it.
It’s almost worth watching the movie two or three times. Every time you may see something else (and there is much more to see than what I described), every time you may get a different perspective.
So, if you decide to give it a try, play a little game with yourself. Try to identify what is your “special gift” you acquired in your childhood. Are you a “happy go lucky”, who never loses the smile on your face and never gets sad or angry?
Or, are you the competent one? The high achiever, always right, always in the know?
What character in the movie are you? Why? What purpose does your “special gift” play in the family? What are the expectations? What are you praised and appreciated for?
Who, what is the “Bruno” in your family? What, whom, your family never talks about? What are the taboos?
It could be fun to look at yourself in a different, curious, “investigative” kind of way. It could be fun to see your family in a different way. It could, definitely, be a good start to understanding yourself and your possible current problems.
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