The upcoming January premiere of the Autumn Sonata by Ingmar Bergman at the Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc in Rijeka was a great motive for another collaboration of scientific and art institutions in Rijeka. This time, the theme of engagement was a contemplation on the specifics and challenges of a complex mother – daughter relationships.
Bergman’s piece opens multiple challenges emerging from the concept of this relationship. The most obvious one might be that of a conflict as a common theme in general displays of women’s relations and with it related misogynist, patriarchal matrix “guarding” the possibilities of affirmative and exclusively women’s connections.
On the other side, “(women’s) family romances” are a counterpoise of an equally limited rhetorical reach. The emerging question therefor might be: what are and what could be the vocabularies of presenting this specific relationship and parenting in general, as a socially important, closely monitored and regulated agency? The talk On Mothers and Daughters led by Mira Furlan, Olga Dimitrijević, Sanja Milutinović Bojanić and Brigita Miloš, organized by Center for Women’s Studies (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences), Center for Advanced Studies – South East Europe and The Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc in Rijeka was held on November 24, 2016 at the University Campus in Rijeka.
