DONOR TRAILER v4 WEBSITE from Docs & Pieces on Vimeo.
Donor Unknown follows the story of JoEllen Marsh, 20, as she goes in search of the sperm donor father she only knows as Donor 150.
A skilfully constructed look at a very modern family.
It may be frustratingly uncommitted in its ending but it's a genuinely engaging journey.
This is a very 21st-century extended family and it's a nice film, though I felt that there might be a deeper, more complex story to tell about the siblings' relations with each other and Harrison's own life-history.
The film is a sunnier experience than its troubling subject matter might suggest, mainly on account of JoEllen, sane, amused and genuinely happy about her surprise family of half-siblings. That's the best news: these kids really are all right.
Engaging.
Ultimately, the documentary raises more issues than it explores – there are some tough ethical questions that a certain Californian sperm bank needs to answer – but the human-interest story it tells is a joy.
The scenes in which JoEllen meets her growing collection of half-sisters and half-brothers are among the most emotional in a sweet but slight documentary.
There's a...grace to Jerry Rothwell's meditative film.
My advice: re-rent The Kids Are All Right.
General release. Check local listings for show times.