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<\/a>I highly recommend seeing this movie.\u00a0 I had the chance to view this at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) for the United States premier of the film. \u00a0Shown to a packed house, the movie is a compelling, emotionally gripping movie that pulls at your heart strings as Farideh (actress Eline Farideh Koning) seeks to find her birth parents in Iran after being adopted and raised as a child by a Dutch couple. \u00a0The journey to find her birth parents was especially poignant because as a transnational adoptee she never really fit in either with her adopted family or her schoolmates (who bullied her for looking different).<\/p>\nFinding Farideh<\/strong>, a documentary, was directed by Kourosh Ataee (From Iran, A Separation) and Asadeh Moussavi (Discharged).\u00a0 It was written by Kourosh Ataee, Eline Farideh Koning, and Azadeh Moussavi.\u00a0 The sole cast member was Eline Farideh Koning (herein referred to Farideh).\u00a0 \u00a0It was shot on location in Iran and the Netherlands. \u00a0It is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.<\/p>\n The movie chronicles Farideh’s journey to find her birth parents. \u00a0As noted, Farideh never felt like she fit in socially in Denmark.\u00a0 She also had an uneasy relationship with her adoptive parents and brother.\u00a0 She learned that she was adopted out of an orphanage in Mashad, Iran after being left in a public square.\u00a0 Prior to the trip she reaches out online, describing her background to see if anyone thinks they are her family.\u00a0 In an very interesting twist that really adds to the character and storyline of the movie, three<\/em> separate families believe she may be related to them.\u00a0 When she arrives in Mashad, Iran she has all three families greet her in an emotional meeting. \u00a0They then go get DNA tested to see who, if any are related to her.\u00a0 The DNA tests take one month to analyze and during the month we learn each of the families painful story of their reasons for why a female infant was adopted out. These included poverty and a kidnapping by an ex spouse. \u00a0One of the potential birth mothers was especially convinced Farideh was her long lost daughter. \u00a0Through sobbing tears upon seeing Farideh, she noted many similar physical similarities and was convinced she was her long lost daughter she had been grieving over. \u00a0She described a life of anguish over her baby girl being snatched and spirited away by her abusive ex husband. \u00a0In a way I couldn’t help but hold out hope that she was the one who was indeed Farideh’s birth mother.<\/p>\n In an especially touching and poignant scene, Farideh visits the actually orphanage in which she was adopted from. \u00a0She is filmed in a room playing and interacting with young toddlers that were her age. \u00a0I couldn’t help but think this was a circle of life moment. \u00a0Farideh had expressed a desire of having children and it dawned on me how amazing that would be if she herself someday adopted one of the children needing good homes.<\/p>\n Many tears were shed both by Farideah as well as myself during this movie.\u00a0 I found myself identifying with the pain felt by Farideh and watched with anticipation to find out who, if anyone, she was related to and if she could find some peace, healing, and reconciliation from the experience. \u00a0Besides the compelling acting, of significance to me were the beautiful scenes shot in Iran giving me a feel for being there and what it would be like to travel and meet the people of the country.<\/p>\n Farideh spoke after the movie as well as during a filmmakers panel.\u00a0 I had the pleasure of speaking with her and talking about her story and life. \u00a0I shared with her how this movie for me was topical given the current tenuous political climate between Iran and the US.\u00a0 By seeing regular Iranian citizens engaged in the same trials and tribulations of daily life, this humanized them to me inopposite of the picture painted in the news. \u00a0Unfortunately, due to the travel ban, the producers and writers still living in Iran were not able to attend and it would have been nice to talk with them as well.<\/p>\n Again, I would recommend this movie. \u00a0Especially to those that enjoy real life situations and are not simply looking for a feel good, happy go lucky movie.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n