Motherhood beyond woman: i am [a good] mother and predecessors onscreen

Abstract

Whether to ensure humanity’s survival or to host other species, reproduction has been a steady pretext to (ab)use women in sci-fi. Though their bodies do not serve to reproduce, female gendered artificial beings have, on the other hand, rarely been exempt from hypersexualization. In I Am Mother (Grant Sputore 2019, Released on Netflix January 25. https://www.netflix.com) a non-sexualized yet “female” AI-robot and her human “daughter,” linked by a unique family bond and common maternal role, are the only guarantors of humankind’s future. Making use of this novel scenario, the chapter explores the ontology of motherhood and its value as constitutive of femininity. The film also serves to discuss the intersections of biology, technology, and ethics in the forthcoming formulations of mother, family and human identity.