Sofia (203 days / 29 Weeks) 01 00:13:20

Sofia | Empathy/ Lack thereof, Fathers, Feeding, Gaze, Siblings

Sofia is sitting on Shirley’s lap, while Nomsa heats her food. Nomsa is telling Raphael to look for his own shoes as she will not look for them for him. Sofia is looking around, not responding to the loud talking around her. She looks up at Shirley who responds saying “Why are you looking at me?”

Nomsa arrives with the food and covers Sofia in a plastic bib for feeding. She holds her in a half-reclined position, while also holding her loose arm. Sofia eats the food, spitting a lot of it out. Nomsa puts Sofia in her small plastic chair on top of the table and goes to try to add something more to Sofia’s liking to the food. Raphael arrives and climbs on the table, plays with Sofia, putting a bib and hat on her head. They look at one another closely. Sofia smiles at him.

Nomsa returns and picks up Sofia to continue feeding and comments “You don’t like number 3” (referring to the Purity food label). When Raphael gets in the way of Sofia’s eating, Nomsa scolds him and then, hearing dad’s car arriving home, she tells Raphael to go.

Dad returns home and is busy in the kitchen with the two boys while Nomsa sits at the table holding Sofia. Suddenly dad realises that he has not said hello to (the filmmaker and) Sofia. He greets the filmmaker and gives Sofia a quick kiss and leaves.