Documentary Review: The Dark Matter of Love

Several America World staff members had the opportunity to attend a screening of the documentary “The Dark Matter of Love” on Monday night at the Capitol visitor center. The film follows the journey of a family as they work to bond with their adopted children who have been through the trauma and loss of institutionalization.

The National Council for Adoption blogged about it as well which you can read here.

We recommend this film and encourage you to see it if you can (website). Here are some comments from our staff and spouses:

• Demonstrated the great need for pre- and post-adoption educational training prospective adoptive parents need in order to prepare them for the placement of an institutionalized child in the home

• The film gave me a brutally honest look at the lives of the members of an
  extraordinary adoptive family throughout the adoption process. The emotional
  highs and lows were depicted and used effectively to declare how important
  training, hard work, and perseverance are to the successful bonding of parents,
  siblings, and children—before, during, and after placement. The story itself
  was well told and I not only learned important lessons from the successes,
  mistakes, and experiences of the Diaz family, but came away with a genuine
  respect and affection for all of them. 

• Great and realistic
  insight to both the blessings and challenges of family-building after adoption
  placement OR adopting older children

• An excellent example of a Russian post adoption success story and all the more reason to continue advocating for the reopenings of adoptions from Russia