Thursday, July 30, 2009

Documentary: Zhang Empresses


Thanks, WB, for telling us about this documentary in the comments to the vacation post! I'm putting the info here so you don't have to cut and paste!

Here's the description of the documentary, Zhang Empresses:

Growing up surrounded by blond, blue-eyed children in Sweden, Chinese adoptees Alice, Mimmi, Nanna and Linnéa always felt different. The girls were adopted on the same day from the same orphanage but – having moved abroad as babies – they don’t speak Mandarin and have no concept of their native country. Now ten years old, they are returning to China for the first time. What will they make of their homeland? A moving look at identity.


It's on the Documentary Channel's schedule for Saturday, August 1 at 10 p.m., and Sunday, August 2 at 1:00 a.m. You can also click here and watch it for 1 British Pound (about $1.65). If you watch it, comment here to let us know what you think!

P.S. If you've seen this documentary AND Found in China, I'd be interested in knowing how they compare. I'm wondering which might be better, how they might be different.

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5 comments:

  1. Jeff and MadelineJuly 30, 2009 at 8:15 PM

    I have had this documentary for a couple of years now and I find myself pulling out every few months. I watched it again before we left for China. Watching the girls at their orphanage is very interesting and telling. You can also see how the girls have been raised with different beliefs about why they were adopted and how that seems to form their initial attitudes, but then you see their truths shining through by the end. Recommend.

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  2. JoanneJuly 30, 2009 at 8:15 PM

    Great - off to set my dvr! Hope you're having a fun vacation :)

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  3. MeadowJuly 31, 2009 at 12:56 PM

    I have both videos, and i much prefer the Zhang empresses one.They are both good, but this one feels a little more real to me.

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  4. LeeJuly 31, 2009 at 7:17 PM

    Thanks for the link. I've watched it twice now ... once alone and once with my 10-year-old. We visited China this past April with six of her original travel group, so this documentary had particular relevance for us.

    I really liked the candid reactions of the girls at the orphanage ... Lost in China certainly included more parental/professional input, but I agree that this one seemed more real.

    My daughter and I have already had some good conversations around some of the issues raised in the documentary.

    Lee in Canada

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  5. KiyAugust 2, 2009 at 10:31 AM

    Thank you for the link, I didn't know about it! Off to set the dvr.

    Cheers,

    Kiy

    P.S. I found you through TM!

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