Christine Benes

The documentary film is good at telling the story of these adoptees. I love the movie. I cried a lot for all the people in it: adoptees, parents, nannies, potential families and researcher. I am an Chinese-American, and speak English, Cantonese and understand most Toishanese. I think the translation could have been better. Sometimes the speakers were speaking Toishanese, and it stated they were speaking Cantonese. The slang, and and idioms spoken could have been better translated. I think the translation should have been peer reviewed by a Cantonese and Toishanese speaker from America. I think their captions translator was from China. When the potential dad of Lily (Mr. Chen spoke of why he gave up his daughter. He spoke Toishanese, not Cantonese, saying, "He was told he had to give at least 60,000 (of their money) to get the job done. That's what they said." He said, "There was no way he could meet that demand. I had no option. Am I right? At that time I left next her near the front door at the hospital. It was at night in the early hours of 4 to 5 AM. If I left her earlier it would have been too cold, she would get a chill. He said he put in her clothes a not of her birthday, and 300 (of their money.) This is what happened." Liu Hao the genealogist spoke Cantonese to them. I do love the film. I want more of them. These stories need to be told, but the translation leaves out a lot of detail.