Are you thinking of starting a family? A local production company is making a documentary about people who are in thinking about starting a family and people in the process of becoming parents.
Alice Ross, one of the producers on the project shared with OUTinPerth what inspired them to embark on their journey and what they’re looking for.
What sparked the idea for this documentary?
This documentary idea came about when a close friend approached me with his story about wanting to have a baby with his same sex partner of four years.
Their plan was to obtain an egg from his partners sister and together with his own sperm, travel to Thailand to find an ethically run surrogacy clinic. The finances they required to execute this plan were quite prohibitive however, and so to supplement their savings, they planned to run a crowdfunding campaign to make up the money they needed.
The confusing legal minefield at every step of the way, plus the discriminatory laws that they had to deal with were baffling. I was blown away by my friend’s dedication and commitment to having a baby despite all of these hurdles. Being a documentary producer, I immediately saw that following their journey would be a powerful way to explore this territory.
In doing so, we hope to raise awareness among the wider community about some of the difficulties faced by LGBTQI people when wanting to start a family. It seemed unfair that while straight people could get pregnant by accident, my friend would have to research and plan, invest serious money, navigate ever changing laws and after all that, would probably still have to face people judging and criticising them as parents.
My co-producer Ella Wright and I were hooked!
What kind of people are you looking to include in the project?
We would love to meet more LGBTQI couples and singles who are embarking on their own journey to start a family in unique ways, whether through surrogacy, co-parenting, adoption, and any other new and interesting way of creating families today. We are really interested in how people make it work for them in 2015.
What’s surprised you so far about non-traditional families and the processes they go through?
You have to think outside the box a bit to have a baby in a same sex relationship but many people are having success in a great combination of ways.
What we have found surprising is the creativity and openness with which people are approaching having babies and making families. Society is changing and the traditional idea of ‘a family’ is and what constitutes a good parent is being redefined. Nobody has to conform anymore and that’s a beautiful thing.
How can people get in touch with you.
We would love to hear from anyone on the path to parenthood. Anyone with opinions, ideas or even a story of their own they would like to share. Please don’t hesitate to contact our development researcher Anthea Smyth at antheasmyth11@gmail.com
Periscope Pictures is a company specialising in the production of high quality documentaries and factual entertainment. The team’s vision is to tell real life stories that deserve to be seen by audiences.
Graeme Watson
interesting subject to tackle.