Donor Conception Network - Articles
Film Review
Peter Johnson gives his impressions of the DC Network film 'A
Different Story'
As a dad with two donor conceived boys aged 8 and 5, I was delighted to watch A Different Story at the recent London meeting of the Network. This was in fact my second attempt, as I had hoped to watch it introduced by the maker at the 10 th anniversary meeting of the Network last June. However on that occasion my youngest son had other ideas and I was pulled out into the sunny afternoon. So I was pleased when a viewing was scheduled in as one of the afternoon groups at the London meeting. The film is wonderful. (It is also available as a DVD)
It features five donor children from about five to nineteen talking to camera about their thoughts and feelings about being donor children, the reaction of friends and their relationship with their parents and fathers in particular. The little girl is wonderfully charming and has plenty to say about being a donor child. The older children talk in more detail about their thoughts in a completely matter of fact way, which was one of the striking features of the film; children at ease talking openly. One of the older children did say that when he was going through his early teens he hadn’t wanted to talk about being a DC boy but now he was happy to and it showed; indeed it showed with all of them.
This was a truly optimistic film.
In the brief group discussion
afterwards one or two of the parents wondered who it was targeted at. For
me there was no doubt. This is one film to show people considering the DC
route to parenthood. I wish this film had been made when we first
considered Donor conception, it would have removed any doubts I had. For
this reason alone this film is a triumph.
Having said that, did I have any criticism? No not really. In the group discussion one parent was quite upset at the way one child described his biological father as his ‘real dad’. A number of other parents agreed. I didn’t agree. It seemed to me to be that child’s own description. A description not used by any of the others. Possibly the film’s maker didn’t edit out the line to serve as a point of discussion on the use of language to describe the donor. So I saw it as a positive point.
I can’t go any further with applauding the film’s production values. The producer was blessed with having children to direct who were wonderfully at ease in front of the camera; bright and confident. The film interspersed the shots of the children with stills of Dads and Mums in the form of photos from their family albums. This feature underlined the film’s message of families happy and at ease as they continue their DC journey.
I was moved by the film because as I watched, I realised I knew a number of the parents. I have talked to them over the years about their children, and now I met them on screen, and could see what a really marvellous they have made of parenthood with all the difficulties they faced on the way.
As you won’t be able to watch it at a cinema near you, do borrow the film from the DC library. I hope it will help those embarking on the DC journey to decide to go on, and to inspire them in the future to tell their children about A Different Story.
