Somewhere Between

Extraordinary girls, intense film
I took my 16 year old adopted daughter to see this film in the theatre, thinking it would help her think about her history and identity, and might start a conversation about some difficult topics she must be thinking about. While the movie inspired and moved me, my daughter simply thought it was 'sad' and assured me that she was not that concerned about exploring her identity as an adoptee. It is possible that what these girls did was just more than she could imagine herself ever doing.

The movie follows four real teenage girls who connect with each other through an on-line community for adoptees from China. The film weaves together several adventures the girls have, showing them meeting and traveling together, often with one of the girls narrating the experience. The two main trips I remember were one to Barcelona where one of the girls participates in a panel discussion on adoption and addresses the very raw topic of abandonment, and a trip to China where another...

Four bright engaging teenage girls talk about what it means to be born in China but raised in America
The documentary "Somewhere Between" was conceived as almost literally a labor of love. In 2008, the director, Lisa Goldstein Knowlton, and her husband had adopted a baby girl from China, and Knowlton wanted to have some idea of what her daughter would have to experience as she got older. As a veteran film producer (Whale Rider, The Shipping News, Crazy in Alabama) as well as director of documentaries (The World According to Sesame Street and others), it was natural for Knowlton to decide to document what she found out, and in the process be able to one day show her daughter everything she had learned.

In 1979, China, faced with forecasts of severe over-population, implemented a strict one-child policy in an attempt to limit its population growth. Since traditionally Chinese families favored boys over girls, many families wanted their one child to be a boy. The result was large numbers of infant girls being either given up for adoption or simply abandoned. Over the...

Speechless
I saw this movie last night. The emotions I felt left me speechless for hours. This is a must see film for any parent who has or is considering adoption - especially internationally. I am so proud of the girls who told their stories and honestly gave their perspectives on being adopted from a foreign country. They are articulate, smart, sensitive and very in touch with their feelings. I want my adopted daughter from China to see this film when she is older and asking the tough teenage questions these girls are facing about who they are. I found the reunion with the birth family thought provoking and tragic. My daughter's birth mother has been in my prayers since I made the decision to adopt from China. I was very touched by the birth father's emotions, as I had not really thought about his feelings before. I highly recommend this film. Please be certain that your child is mature enough to handle the tough questions of abandonment and birth family reunions. The content is...

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