‘Donor Unknown’: documentary begins UK cinema tour
3 June 2011
Growing up in Pennsylvania, USA with two mothers, JoEllen Marsh, now 20, has always known her family 'wasn't like other families'. 'Donor Unknown' is a documentary feature following JoEllen's search for the father she knows only as Donor 150.
The journey begins when JoEllen discovers a unique online registry connecting donor-conceived children, through which she manages to track down a half-sister in New York. The 'New York Times' picks up the story and, over time, 12 more half-siblings emerge across the United States.
Then she hears from Jeffrey Harrison, living alone with four dogs and a pigeon in a broken-down RV in a Venice Beach car park. In the 1980s, Jeffrey supplemented his meagre income by becoming a sperm donor at California Cryobank. His number was Donor 150.
'Donor Unknown' is a uniquely 21st-century story. The connections made between the children and their donor dad draw as much on modern technology as on old-fashioned coincidence.
While the siblings seem to take their ever-expanding family in their stride, Jeffrey is more apprehensive about meeting some of his biological children for the first time.
Director Jerry Rothwell explains the motivations behind the film: "I was drawn to this story because it seemed to me that, through an astonishing set of coincidences, Jeffrey and his children were dealing with some of the big human dilemmas posed by the rapid advances in reproductive technology. There are two kinds of journey in the film: those of the children looking for their genetic inheritance, and that of Jeffrey discovering a new family of strangers. Both are pioneering new kinds of family connection."
'Donor Unknown' will be released in UK cinemas, with its London premiere on 3 June at the Apollo Piccadilly. After the screening, 'Donor Unknown' director Jerry Rothwell and JoEllen Marsh from the film will host a Q&A session with special guests.
Alongside the film's release, there is programme of special screenings with Q&As, supported by the Wellcome Trust. The DVD release of 'Donor Unknown' is scheduled for 4 July.
UK cinema tour
Premiere: Friday 3 June, 18.45
Apollo Piccadilly
Sunday 5 June, 20.45
Gate, Notting Hill, London
Tuesday 7 June, 20.30
Apollo, Stroud
Thursday 9 June, 18.00
Glasgow Film Theatre (with Glasgow Science Festival)
Monday 13 June, 21.00
Phoenix Finchley, London
Tuesday 14 June, 20.30
City Screen Picturehouse, York
Wednesday 15 June, 18.30
Little Theatre Cinema, Bath
Thursday 16 June, 18.30
Phoenix Picturehouse, Oxford
Sunday 19 June, 18.00 and 20.00
Picture House, Uckfield
Monday 20 June, 21.00
Ritzy, Brixton, London
Wednesday 22 June, 20.30
Apollo, Torbay
Thursday 23 June, 18.30
Lexi, Kensal Rise, London
Sunday 26 June, 16.00
Arts Picturehouse, Cambridge
The ICA, London, will be running 'Donor Unknown' from 3-16 June.
For more information about the issues raised in the documentary and a full list of screenings, visit the ‘Donor Unknown’ website.
Image: Jeffrey Harrison (aka Donor 150) and JoEllen Marsh on the day they met for the first time. Credit: Redbird Media and Met Film.
