A National Film Board of Canada production

Multimedia: collage, archival footage, live action, stop-motion, scan glitches

Two sisters who had been adopted internationally explore and compare their respective pasts for the first time. Their candid discussion reveals both an ambivalence toward their abandonment and the strength of their sisterly bond. By transforming their personal archives into a collage inspired by origami, Fanny Lord-Bourcier fills in the blurry areas of their shared history.

A film from the Alambic program, the NFB French Animation Unit’s creative lab for emerging filmmakers.

Two sisters adopted from China confront their fragmentary past in this sensitive portrait that blends personal archival footage and origami-inspired collages.

Making this film was cathartic, both artistically and personally. It was the first time my sister and I talked openly about our adoption. Growing up, I’d never really explored this facet of my cultural identity, probably to protect myself from feeling different.

Collage was a natural choice. It enables you to remove elements from their context and incorporate them into another. It somewhat reflects my experience as an international adoptee.

Our past is contained in a pile of papers—official documents and photographs. Our memory is folded, ripped, glitched.

I hope that in opening this candid little window onto my sister and me, I can highlight a genuine facet of adopted peoples’ experience and allow others to recognize themselves in this.

Contact NFB publicist for high-resolution images for print.