"(I did not see this dvd but saw the TV presentation. I am assuming the dvd does not have extra footage, which may be an incorrect assumption.)
I personally enjoyed it as an adoptive father of a girl born in China. In fact we met our daughter for the very first time in the exact same room shown on this video in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province. How could I not like this?
They did a much better editing job on their footage than I did on my footage!! But I still like my video better :)
Especially moving to me is the mother who puts up a poster proclaiming to whoever might see it (hopefully the birth mother) that the girl she adopted is doing fine. Then a discussion ensues with local people. I wish I could find my daughter's birth mother.
Also moving is the footage of the foster mother sobbing because the adoptive mother did not bring the girl to see her one last time. I understand why the new mother didn't bring her - it would have been VERY painful one more time for her daughter - but it made me think of the kind looking woman who raised our daughter for the first year of her life. We have a few pictures of her and my daughter but were unable to meet her or to contact her - still to this day.
They could have added so much more, as the first reviewer said, but for what it is - it is good. Kind of glossy and feel good and cable channel quality - but still good - it does in fact hit the painful issues of previous mothers and the problem of the lack of girls in China and what that will mean in the near future for Chinese society.
Some of my fellow adopters had strong feelings about parts of the movie - the footage of the foster mother in particular. But, I don't remember their points well and would not want to speak for them.
And I agree about the Lucy Liu comment being innappropriate - especially considering this footage was professionally edited with a person of Chinese descent in charge! Oh well. If Ms. Ling didn't mind - should I?
All in all - if you are considering adopting from China - well worth the look. Not real deep but interesting."
Leaves context unexplored
Mern | Los Angeles, ca USA | 02/04/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Well made, but curiously doesn't explain the "why" of the Chinese-girls-for-adoption phenomenon, namely China's strictly enforced (by coerced abortion) one-child per family policy and the strong cultural preference for boys because elderly parents live with and are supported by a son's family, not a daughter's. Thus a girl is an investment that never pays off, and the parents fear destitution in their old age.
They might alos have mentioned that the common alternative to adoption is selective abortion or infanticide. You would think Natonal Geographic would be more interested in the repurcussions of social structures and government ideology."
A Good Look at the Conclusion of the Adoption Process
Palmer Muntz | Fort Wayne IN | 04/11/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This DVD is polished and interesting to watch. It is a great tool for showing people why one might want to adopt from China and what the process looks like when it's all done. (It doesn't represent well the 12 months or more of preparation, paperwork and expense that led up to receiving a little girl.)
I could argue pro's and con's with the other reviewers about some of the faults they found in the program--and it certainly isn't a perfect product--but I think the producers did a very good job within the constraints of the medium and time alloted. I would highly recommend this DVD to anyone who is interested in the subject of adoption from China."
If adopting must see
adopting0506 | CA | 11/18/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"My husband and I are in the middle of the adoption process and are going through China. The dvd made it more real to us watching the other parents get their children. Also it made me see the reality of it. Not all peaches and cream. Because you see the children screaming when they are handed over to their new parents it was very scary but then a few days later the child is in the hotel room looking like a normal child with her new parents. So I could see that it is a tough transition but the child adapts easy. But now I will expect the screaming. A friend gave us the dvd and we have shown it to other friends so they know the reason we are doing this and a little about what is going to happen."
A "Must-See" for all adopting from China, and their extended
H. B. Garbe | Nu Joyzee | 04/10/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"We are in the early stages of our journey to adopt from China. This DVD was recommended to us by the adoption agency, and by far it has given us a remarkable glimpse not only into what it is life to actually travel to China and pick up your child, but into the history of why there are a million orphaned children in China, 95% of which are girls.
I agree with the one reviewer that this is not only information for those adopting but for anyone who wants to know more of the crisis facing female born children (and women in general) in China, due to the laws limiting the amount of children on can have and the desire to have that one child be a boy to ensure that the parents will be taken care of in old age (girls marry into their husbands families and care for their in-laws). In many area's if the child is female, they will go to great lengths to "get rid of" the child. The only humane method is abandonment (which is highly illegal), in which at least the child has a chance of being found and taken to a local orphanage. Many people I've spoken with about the subject state something to the effect of, "aren't women not valued as much as men over there?", not fully knowing the gravity of the plight of newborn females. Although this documentary doesn't get into the "other methods" of how the Chinese people deal with their unwanted female children, I don't think the intended subect was anything other than the growing imbalance of male/female ratio's and international adoption of these unwanted girls.
With all that said, I have found this DVD to be invaluable in helping me envision my trip to China that will be one day. My husband said jsut lastnight that I'm going to "wear a hole" in the disc if I keep playing it as much as I do (about 6 times in the past month so far! lol...). It was a very well done and we plan on showing it to all of our extended family to help them understand that even though we are able to conceive biological children, our heart is in China..."