Adoption Film Festival in Pittsburgh This Weekend

 Adoption, in General, Blogs, Movies  1 Response »
Sep 132011
 

I thought I should let you all know about the Adoption Film Festival happening at the University of Pittsburgh this weekend. I received an email from Laura reminding me about it which jogged the memory that Kate was also attending.

I’ll share the list of movies and “respondents” on panel. Please note the 3:00 one.

Adoption on Film: Families Lost and Found
September 16 -17, 2011 Frick Fine Arts Auditorium
University of Pittsburgh

Friday, September 16 7:30 pm
Wo Ai Ni (I Love You) Mommy (Stephanie Wang-Breal, 2010)

Director Stephanie Wang-Breal will present and discuss.

Saturday, September 17 1:00 pm
Adopted: For the Life of Me (Jean Strauss, 2010)
Respondent: Amanda Woolston, founder of AdopteeRights PA

3:00 pm
To Each His Own (Mitchell Leisen, 1946)
Respondents: Kate Livingston, Ph. D. candidate in Women’s Studies, OSU,
and Molly Brown, Lecturer in Film Studies, Pitt

7:30 pm
Secrets and Lies (Mike Leigh, 1996)
Respondents: Alison Patterson, Visiting Lecturer, Film Studies, Pitt
Marianne Novy, Professor, English, Pitt

Presented by Pittsburgh Consortium for Adoption Studies, University of
Pittsburgh School of Arts and Sciences Department of English, Film
Studies Program, Women’s Studies Program, Three Rivers Families with
Children from China

For more information contact mnovy@pitt.edu or alp30@pitt.edu

I really wish I was going, not because I think sitting and watching adoption movies for 24 hours would do my psyche good. But just because I think it would be fun to see Kate up front and make faces at her. Especially since I can’t attend the Ohio Birthparent Group this month which happens to be the very next day. I can’t attend OBG because my husband works his 24 hour shift on Sunday and BigBrother has a soccer game. That simply doesn’t work. Such is life. Sometimes I can make a choice to go and sometimes I have to make the choice to stay home.

Anyway, I can’t go to the Film Festival because I’ll be presenting at PodCamp with BurghBaby. We’ll be presenting Blogging 201: Keeping Your Blog Going. I could be all self-snarky and say something like, “One way to keep your blog going is to do something that will give your life-long grief and loss. Then you’ll never run out of things to say!” In fact, I might say something of that nature, but not quite in the same way.

If you’re attending the Film Festival, please blog about it so I can feel like I was there. If you’re attending PodCamp (it’s free!), attend our session. Or go to the Film Festival. Either way, enjoy Pittsburgh this weekend. I will be!

Anecdotal Evidence to Warm Your Heart

 Movies, Videos  10 Responses »
Feb 092011
 

First of all, Piers Morgan uses the term “real mother” right from the top. I don’t know if he was going for the dramatic term or if he’s just that clueless, but man, can someone clue the mainstream media in on appropriate usage of adoption related terminology? It’s Redbook all over again.

That aside, the interview itself is quite interesting. Michael Oher, NFL player that inspired the movie The Blind Side talks candidly about his thoughts about his birth mother. And, to be honest, he could be rip-roaring angry with her and it would be 100% justified. But this guy? He’s a gem.

“That’ll always be my mom.”

Man.

“Everybody needs that. You only get one biological mother. And she’s mine.. so..”

Man.

Which brings up the points in my post-slash-rant about belittling birth parents by removing their titles and other such negative speak to/around/for/with your (adoptive) children. You just can’t do that. This guy? This big loveable bear of a guy right here on this video? He’s an example of why. If you want a child who can recognize that things are/were the way they are/were and “makes the most” of his situation/opportunity, you simply can’t brainwash the child into think that his roots are evil, broken or worthless. You just can’t.

I want to meet Oher, shake his hand and tell him thank you.

I think I might brave up sometime soon and actually watch The Blind Side. I avoided it for many reasons (all purely personal, as I actually adore Sandra Bullock). But I think it’s about time, especially as I continue to learn what a cool guy Oher truly is.

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