Customer Reviews

Found in China

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was first introduced to Carolyn Stanek's work in 1997 while waiting for a referral from China for our oldest daughter. Carolyn was one of the China adoption pioneers and filmed extensively during the trip she made in 1994 to adopt her daughter Tai Li. It was a window to an exotic and unknown world of Chinese adoption, and I hung on her every word, every description, every scene. It was not a polished piece of work but it was intensely personal and from the heart.

Fast forward a dozen years: Carolyn took her family back to China for a homeland tour so her two daughters could see, hear, feel, touch and taste the land of their birth. They traveled with a group of other families with pre-teens that had been adopted as infants and a young Asian-American social worker. The first part of the film is pure giggling girl power as the young women play tourist at Beijing's most famous landmarks. But the film turns more serious and somber as the reality of why they are there sinks in. Carolyn's daughters visit their orphanage and finding places under the guidance of their social worker and the homeland tour leader.

For me, the most poignant moment in the film was when Carolyn's oldest daughter visits her finding place, now an empty and abandoned movie theater in a small village. The young social worker put her arm around young Tai Li in front of the theater and painted for her a picture of how the theater must have looked on that day: a lighted marquee, people scurrying by, surely a place for a child to be found quickly. Every parent of a child who was abandoned at one time must watch that scene with a pang in their heart but with hope their child would someday understand their beginnings and what might have driven the decisions of their birthfamily.

Carolyn Stanek's film making has benefited greatly from formal training following her initial ventures, but what is most evident is her ongoing passion for the adoption experience. The film is a mixture of personal moments and professional interviews with the trip participants and adoption workers. Sara Dorow, author of "When You Were Born in China," lends a scholarly touch with her insight into adoption and abandonment issues.

After watching this video, my 10 year old daughter raised questions about her birthparents and foster family in China. Watching it together can open a dialog with our children who are ready to talk about adoption and the journey they took to their forever families.

I ordered this documentary and watched it the same day it arrived in the mail. The film follows a group of adolescent girls as they return to China for a heritage tour, but it's relevance and application extend well beyond the bounds of China adoption; it was beautifully done and touched on many important issues.

The film captured countless wonderful moments. One scene I found especially touching was a foster father who took the day off from work when he learned that his former foster daughter would be visiting his village... he and his wife were overjoyed to see her again. Another memorable scene shows an orphanage Director and her staff as they warmly welcome the girls back- sharing personal stories, photos, and memories of the girls' lives a decade earlier. The film illustrates how much the foster families & nannies cared for and remembered these children, long after the girls' departure from China with their forever families.

The documentary also discusses birth parents- how the girls feel about them, how the birth parents might feel about the choices they have made, and how impact of choice ripples throughout many lives. One of things I appreciated about the film was the sensitive and honest way it addressed loss in adoption; which is not to suggest that adoption is defined only by loss, but the film acknowledges that adoption- like much in life- can be filled with a diverse range of emotions, perspectives, and experiences. The film also explores how the many people involved in adoption- children, adoptive families, foster families, birthparents, and others- might experience a sense of loss in their own unique way. Sara Dorow's comments greatly added to the film as well.

It is at once fascinating and moving to see how the girls and their families experience the journey, and how each must "process" all that has happened in their own way. Each narrative offers an insightful perspective on the individual. Overall, the film was very positive and leaves viewers with a deep appreciation for the powerful impact that this trip had on all who were involved. As a mother of two daughters, I know when my toddlers are older this film will serve as a valuable tool around which dialogue and exploration of their own personal adoption histories can begin.

Some films are worth seeing, this film is also worth owning. Extended family and other important members of the child's life would greatly benefit from watching this film. I cannot recommend it highly enough and I am personally grateful for the obvious thought, sensitivity, and dedicated efforts of all those who helped to create this documentary. I am humbled by the maturity of these girls who so generously allowed the personal details of their stories to be shared with the world. This documentary is a lovely gift to the entire adoption community, but most importantly to our precious children.

Every parent with an adopted Chinese daughter should own a copy of "Found in China." The film follows a group of "older" girls -- adolescents and pre-adolescents -- as they return to China and visit their orphanages and "finding places." What could have been a standard account of a Homeland Tour is instead a moving, thoughtful and informative documentary. The best parts are the interviews with the girls themselves -- their resilience and wisdom shines through.

As a parent of a 10 year old chinese daughter I would highly recommend this dvd. I previewed it and then decided it was completely appropriate for her to see. After the video she was full of questions and we had a great conversation about the trip that I want to take her on when she is 12. I had actually been planning on waiting until she was 15-17 but have since changed my mind after watching the video. A MUST see for anyone with an adopted Chinese child thinking of visiting China. Well done.

This DVD was exactly what I was looking for. As the parent of a child adopted from China, it was wonderful to see other adopted Chinese children the age of my daughter visiting their homeland eight or ten years after coming home to the US. I was stunned to see a family I know well in part of the DVD, which made it extra special. I plan to watch this multiple times and hope my daughter will learn to love it as well. Found in China. It was very well done. Thank you for this excellent documentary.

Thank goodness we watched this movie before our adopted 5y/o saw it.We purchased this movie thinking it was going to be a "travelogue" for kids returning to China. It was much more intense. I think it should be just seen for the adults in her life contemplating on whether or not to return to China and if we do what should we expect from ourselves and our child. The movie shows the girls and their families on a return trip to China on a group trip with an agency specializing in trips for adopted children returning to China. The questions the movie helps parents to consider are 1) whether or not you and your child are ready to take the trip to china 2) what issues may you and she have to deal with when you are in China such as: a) transracial adoption b) China's one child policy c) idea of "abandonment".etc
This travel agency took with them an asian social worker who help the girls deal with their issues they faced on their return trip to china
as some girls a) visited there finding place b) met with their caregivers/foster parent/nanny c) met the person who found them d) visited the orphanage to see other children waiting for forever families e) how internal their connection with China really is f) would they be able to find their birthmom while in China etc.
Be ready to think about these issues prior to making this visit to China as the movie goes on to show the parents and their children at home in the USA after their visit from China. This movie get you thinking about good topics to help you make a decision on that return trip to China.

Definitely worth buying for anyone interested in the subject of kids adopted from China returning for visits to the land of their birth. In this documentary, the parents, kids and learned commentators all have thoughtful things to say, and the kids are really charming.

This DVD gives a great insight into the world of adoption at the later stages in life and makes you realise how important it is to take a roots trip when your adopted child gets older.............

I have been researching about the process of adoption and the journey that adopted Chinese girls take for a while now, and this movie definitely has a firm and permanent place in the must-watch/must-read stack for parents, children, and researchers alike. The content of the documentary is definitely very valuable, as it takes the viewers along for the ride and shows firsthand the reactions of the girls throughout their Homeland journey. That being said, there are a couple of aspects of this documentary that I found lacking. First of all, this documentary seems to lack a bit of polish in terms of the editing and the flow of the story, and there are many times when the interest (and energy) level seems to droop a bit, deterring many viewers from continuing to watch. Secondly, the interview with the girls and the parents could be a bit repetitive. However, this documentary is still worth watching, especially for parents with older children, even if it does lack some of the polish, flow, and comprehensive nature of National Geographic's "China's Lost Girls."

We have two adopted girls from China, now ages 15 and 19. We sat down as a family to watch this video, with great anticipation. It is a sleeper, lacking depth. There is so much of a story to be told about Chinese adoptions and this one misses the mark.

Reminded me of a college freshman film project. Sorry to be negative, but it simply wasn't worth our time to watch.