Go see this movie if you get a chance. Better yet, pre-order it now so you can own a copy when it becomes available. Click on the banner above to find out more.
I had the privilege of watching this film at the Midwest Adoption Conference recently, with the film maker Barb Lee and the co-producer, Nancy Kim Parsons. I was literally on the edge of my seat as the story unfolded.
The film is so well executed and so understated (the opposite of sensationally edited) that its power sneaks up on you. Gradually you find yourself drawn into the compelling narratives of the two adoptive families portrayed.
One family is at the end of its journey through transnational adoption (an adult Asian adoptee attempts to make peace with her aging white American parents before they die), and the other is just starting out (we watch two white American parents preparing to receive their new daughter from China and actually witness the powerful moment when parents and child meet for the first time).
The film captures beautifully what I refer to as the paradox of adoption, that is, adoption as both a blessing and a curse. I realize that it is not easy for many parents to accept this realization. Yet allowing adoption narratives (such as this film) into our hearts and consciousness gives us a chance to sit with difficult knowledge and to experience the world as many adoptees experience it.
If adoptive parents can’t stand facing the feelings stirred by this film, I shudder to think how their adopted children will fare as they face their own complex reactions to being adopted. In a sense, watching this film and confronting the array of emotions released gives viewers a chance to practice standing with adoptees as supportive, loving allies. Highly recommended!
Click here to go to the film’s website.
