Really moved by this, and quite taken aback by the candor and vulnerability.Whether it's operating at the anecdotal level (the wistful desire to eat meat as a Hindu) or the epistemological (what's the relationship between changing your name and claiming your sense of identity?), this movie isn't afraid to swim around some heavy thematic waters - but it does so with a smile and a wink.So many observational takeaways from this story - sociological, familial, financial, self-narrative, economical, and on and on - but moving past the fairly obvious ones: the real villain here is not racism, fraud, biology, or circumstance - to me it was loud and clear: class. The pain of wanting to provide and not being able to, the memory of playing in a stairwell too small, the awkwardness of lending money without rescuing, the need for survival with dignity not just survival by legacy.I couldn't help but wonder about the girls and all adoptees who don't sign up for this complexity - but the truth is no one chooses the family they are born into or raised in. Sadder still, no one signs up for poverty either.The inclusion of that particular quote at the end was so apt and well-timed after watching that elder put what felt like such a huge burden on them so swiftly.If only more parents could harness the level of emotional intelligence it takes to navigate something like this, and how much courage it takes to put your ego aside and consider what's best for your kids in terms of understanding their place in the society they drop into, and within which they have to learn how to overcome those personal obstacles.p.s. what broke me was actually something that came up in the Q&A: the social worker who managed the adoption was there and said that she met the Iyers during an adoption that fell through: they flew with gifts to meet what they thought would be their new child, but the birth mom changed her mind. They left the gifts anyway, and flew home 💕 So later on, when these twins needed a new home, the social worker thought of the Iyers - because of that kindness.Also in the Q&A, the director said when thinking about the decision to parent or not, she wanted to explore what it takes being a part of the village that can raise a child - that was a lovely sentiment and will stick with me.----CAAM Fest #3/4
