Soon after her 40th birthday, filmmaker Deirdre Fishel—a single New Yorker—considered using a sperm bank to have a child. Sperm Donor X recounts both her experiences and those of three other women: 34-year-old Janet, 39-year-old Linda, and 41-year-old Lolita. Although Fishel has a boyfriend, she isn't certain about their future and doesn't want to wait for him to commit to fatherhood, which turns out to be a wise choice when their relationship hits a rough patch. Lolita, a school psychologist, worries that the Catholic Church won't accept her decision but feels confident that it's right for her. Each woman seeks out profiles of men who appeal to them in terms of health, ethnicity, and other factors. Despite finding and using a donor that meets her criteria, Fishel fails to conceive, so her doctor recommends in-vitro fertilization. Eight months and $32,000 later, Fishel finally receives the news she's been longing to hear. Janet and Lolita face even bigger obstacles to achieving biological motherhood, while Linda's life takes her on a different path. By the end, all have made some sort of peace with their situations, even if their choices aren't necessarily their original ones. Along the way, Fishel also interviews authors Jane Mattes (Single Mothers by Choice) and Louise Sloan (Knock Yourself Up). Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)
Sperm Donor X: A Different Conception
(2010) 56 min. DVD: $95: public libraries; $279: colleges & universities. New Day Films. PPR. ISBN: 978-1-57448-286-7. Volume 26, Issue 6
Sperm Donor X: A Different Conception
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