I will quote one of the script’s line, which I think summarizes the telling of the movie: “Some of us were loved well, some of us were loved and some of us were left to ourselves.”
We live in a society where we judge and despise others instead of trying to understand where they come from. A lot of us are lost in insecurities, negative self belief and plain bold self hatred. With bad foundation, lack of support and a neglected childhood, it is really hard for someone to make good decisions and thrive in life. On top of that, we tend to segregate the “bad apples” of society from the “good ones”. We are annoyed by the crazy, the addict, the sex worker. We accuse them of lacking will power and of selfishness. That is a great misunderstanding of psychology and the influence nurturing has on a person, on a child, on a baby.
“The Making of Me” humanizes the person behind the sex worker or the addict. In that way, The characters are very relatable to most of us. Just because we are not prostitutes does not mean we haven't had our fair share of disrespectful situations and/or sexual interactions. Feelings of owing something to one who doesn’t give. Giving to someone who just takes. Being stuck in toxic relationships because we don’t feel we deserve better. We can all identify to these and this is where the power of this story resides.
This movie explores what I believe is only ignorance. It portraits everyone as the same, but with different resources. It encourages patience and open mindedness towards the less lucky ones. People are not mean or mal intentioned for the fun of it. They are hurting and trying to survive, like we all are at different levels.
Mostly, “The Making of Me” talks about hope. About that light that we all have inside but that’s not easily felt by some. That desire to be better, for yourself and for others and that in the right circumstances and with the right people, change can happen. Truth is, fundamentally, we all need the same things: the need to be loved, safe and supported.
