Found in China: New Documentary

Carolyn Stanek's documentary, "Found in China," has received critical acclaim as it continues to make the rounds at independent film festivals in the United States. The latest of these is the fourth annual Austin Asian Film Festival.

This is how "Found in China" is described:

We were among the pioneers as we traveled to China in the early ‘90s to adopt our baby girls. The one-child per family rule in China enabled us to form our families ... and has resulted in more than 60,000 Chinese-American adoptees, many now reaching their pre-teen and teenage years. To be sure, things have changed dramatically in the world’s most populated country. Notably, more emphasis is on domestic adoptions, as China’s economic capabilities have enabled hundreds of millions to emerge from poverty and as officials have loosened some of the regulations.

Many of us have returned to China with our adopted daughters to journey through the countrysides and urban areas to see what can be found ... about our children’s past, about where they were found before being brought to the orphanage or police station, about who cared for them when they were placed in foster homes or orphanages, about this incredible country of 1.4 billion people and its amazing ancient culture as well as its rapid modernization.

“Found in China,” an 82-minute documentary by Tai-Kai Productions, follows a group of six families who climb the Wall, taste the tea, and survive the emotional and psychological demands of such a heritage trip.

For those of us who have ever contemplated a heritage trip to China and perhaps to Ningdu, "Found in China" should help to serve as an emotional guide in that anticipated journey.