Documentary Pick: Find Me

I find myself watching a lot of documentaries these days, a genre I never had much interest in before becoming a parent.  Perhaps it's just that now movies garnering less press or fanfare are simply more accessible with streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu, among others.

I recently read about the documentary, Find Me on another blog, and my husband and I watched it last night.  It's a film about the varying aspects of Chinese adoption, including three families who have adopted children from China, as well as the foster families who cared for the children, after they were found and placed in orphanages.

One of the concepts focused on in the film is a child's "finding place."  Literally, the location or address where they were surrendered and "found," before being placed in an orphanage.  As I learned, a finding place can have tremendous significance for the family adopting, to actually touch the ground where their now child was surrendered, some commonly abandoned for medical or health related reasons, for example the family being unable to provide adequate care or fund necessary treatments.  

Another aspect of the film focused on the "find me," aspect, how social media is helping many children find families who would otherwise be at risk of aging out of the Chinese orphanage system.  

Ultimately, this film resonated with me in many ways.  One of my close high school friends was adopted from Korea, and I grew up with several friends with younger siblings that were adopted internationally.  I feel humbled and ignorant now, recognizing how little I knew about that experience and what an emotional, transformative journey it likely was for their families.  

On a personal level, while not an adoption persay, my grandfather was an orphan, left on the steps of the New York Foundling Hospital when he was just days old.  He and his younger sister (who were identified as related by handwritten note left upon surrender) bounced through twelve foster homes by the time my grandfather was nine.  Inevitably, they did not find a forever family, and he ran away at sixteen, though he likely would have aged out of the system. 

This film is about the human experience, and it's heartbreaking and both heartwarming in many ways.  Regardless of your position on the subject, I'd recommend this film.  Find Me was a glimpse at a whole world I was not aware of, and has given me with a lot to think about.  

Here is a link to a trailer for the film, as well as another film testimonial by blogger, Shay Shull, who adopted from the same Xi'an, China orphanage in the film. 

This post is part of my partnership with Netflix where I share what my family and I are watching each month on our favorite streaming platform. All thoughts and opinions are my own.  #StreamTeam

image/netflix