He Even Has Your Eyes.
(Il a déjà tes yeux , French; 2016)
Netflix
It is used to be that bringing u a child was 'child play'. My maternal grandfather's philosophy was thus. Mother Nature has it all for us. Like the trees in the forests and God's creations in the wild, somebody will sow the seeds, and someone else will come to water or feed them. In times of crisis, every man (and child) is on his own, scavenging and struggling towards sustenance. They soon learn survival skills and street smartness.
It used to be that families with way too many mouths to feed willingly give their barren relatives their child to take care. The offspring would grow, knowing very well who the biological and adoptive parents are. Issues of abandonment or neglect and psychological scarring attached to this were unheard of. The whole village would nurture a child.
Such a set up seem so alien now, like almost happening in an alternative universe. We are living in a hostile environment, Man being Man's greatest predator. It is almost like the world will be a better place with its population all wiped out. Child molesters, adults with pedophilic tendencies and cannibals make adoption almost like human trafficking. The agencies assume that adopters are up to something no good unless proven otherwise. The complicated labyrinth of bureaucracy decides who is fit to be a parent and who is not.
It is almost like choosing the correct earring for a lady's attire. Both the couple's biodata is screened with a fine-tooth comb, financial security, criminal records, medical conditions, mental stability, household preparations and colour. It does not matter if the orphan child is deprived in the wilderness in slums in an abusive family elsewhere. Everything needs to be mixed and matched, especially race!
It is used to be that bringing u a child was 'child play'. My maternal grandfather's philosophy was thus. Mother Nature has it all for us. Like the trees in the forests and God's creations in the wild, somebody will sow the seeds, and someone else will come to water or feed them. In times of crisis, every man (and child) is on his own, scavenging and struggling towards sustenance. They soon learn survival skills and street smartness.
It used to be that families with way too many mouths to feed willingly give their barren relatives their child to take care. The offspring would grow, knowing very well who the biological and adoptive parents are. Issues of abandonment or neglect and psychological scarring attached to this were unheard of. The whole village would nurture a child.
Such a set up seem so alien now, like almost happening in an alternative universe. We are living in a hostile environment, Man being Man's greatest predator. It is almost like the world will be a better place with its population all wiped out. Child molesters, adults with pedophilic tendencies and cannibals make adoption almost like human trafficking. The agencies assume that adopters are up to something no good unless proven otherwise. The complicated labyrinth of bureaucracy decides who is fit to be a parent and who is not.
It is almost like choosing the correct earring for a lady's attire. Both the couple's biodata is screened with a fine-tooth comb, financial security, criminal records, medical conditions, mental stability, household preparations and colour. It does not matter if the orphan child is deprived in the wilderness in slums in an abusive family elsewhere. Everything needs to be mixed and matched, especially race!
The public is quick to judge when a child appears different from their parents. It does not make sense, but generally, people are okay with fair-skinned people adopting dark-skinned kids. Conversely, if the parents were dark-skinned and the child light-skinned, they feel hot under the colour. Are they not good enough to care for a pale child? Paradoxically, even within the coloured, a white-skinned is viewed upon as not good enough to be adopted. Are their DNA inferior to carry the burden of their adopted tradition? Assumptions on the liberal attitudes of the biological mother are hurled.
In Malaysia, I have noticed that it is acceptable for an Indian couple to take in Chinese kids as their own. We have seen these much here over the years. Typical children with Oriental features uttering immaculate Tamil complete with eye and hand gestures. When it is an Indian child is raised by a Chinese family, society becomes curious. We are all inherently racists.
This French comedy looks at this cruel behaviour. A black couple who is an adoption list receives a call that their application is successful. The child is a 4 month-old blue-eyed blond white baby. The parents are over the moon on seeing their baby, but not so with one of the social workers who is hellbent on proving that the new parents of their white child.
The new mother's family is also shocked by the latest addition to the family. Together with the young couple's friends, the movie tries to highlight the farce behind adoption protocols and unsavoury societal perception of interracial adoption.
In Malaysia, I have noticed that it is acceptable for an Indian couple to take in Chinese kids as their own. We have seen these much here over the years. Typical children with Oriental features uttering immaculate Tamil complete with eye and hand gestures. When it is an Indian child is raised by a Chinese family, society becomes curious. We are all inherently racists.
This French comedy looks at this cruel behaviour. A black couple who is an adoption list receives a call that their application is successful. The child is a 4 month-old blue-eyed blond white baby. The parents are over the moon on seeing their baby, but not so with one of the social workers who is hellbent on proving that the new parents of their white child.
The new mother's family is also shocked by the latest addition to the family. Together with the young couple's friends, the movie tries to highlight the farce behind adoption protocols and unsavoury societal perception of interracial adoption.
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