Adopted ID
Friday 1 April 7pm
In the fall of 1979 in Cap Haitien, Haiti, I was found in a roadside ditch naked and covered with ants. The locals who rescued me took me to a nearby hospital and handed me over to two nuns who at the time where in contact with a Canadian couple who were looking to adopt from Haiti. Three and half months later I was flown to Montreal, Canada to meet my new family the Craig's. I was named Judith Jennifer Denise by my parents Jim Craig, a minister and Juanita Craig, a stay home mom.
I was raised alongside their four other children in a loving, nurturing Christian home. For the last 27 years this is the only family that I have known and loved. Although growing up as a Black girl in a predominately Caucasian family hasn't been easy I think I am a well adjusted and confident person. Recently however, the need to find my parents or any family member has become an increasing desire. I am returning to Haiti this fall with the faith that I will find what I am looking for.
These are the words of Jennifer Craig, this once orphan who is now a well adjusted adult who works as a social worker in child protection and adoption in the UK. The questions from her mysterious past still haunt her. As she prepares to return to Haiti for the first time, here is some insight into what it feels like to have an Adopted Identity.
Synopsis:
This film uncovers the extraordinary journey of Judith Craig. Abandoned at birth, she bravely returns to the impoverished nation of Haiti to find her parents.From the poverty-stricken families who’ve given up a child to the foreign families looking to adopt one, these disparate worlds collide amid Judith’s quest to solve the puzzle of her past. With the sights and sounds of pre-earthquake Haiti as a backdrop, these intersecting lives provide a rare and intimate insight into the conditions surrounding transnational adoption.Judith hopes this film will change the way you understand interracial adoption.The Impact:
The aftermath of the horrific Haiti earthquake highlighted the need for transracial adoption and the benefit of families of wealthy nations assisting families of poorer nations. In this phenomenon, little is known of the future impact on transracially adopted children.
Adopted ID provides insight into the complexities of this relatively new type of family. Judith Craig, has lived it, felt it, understands it and wants to give back to other children and parents who are experiencing the same family dynamic.
Dir: Sonia Godding Togobo
Canada/UK
2010,
English
