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Jerry Rothwell is a documentary filmmaker whose work includes the award- winning feature docs Heavy Load and Deep Water. He is in currently in production on Town of Runners, a feature documentary about young athletes in rural Ethiopia. Rothwell credits include programs for the BBC and Channel 4.
Film Guide: Donor Unknown
Jerry Rothwell is no longer answering questions
Is there as high a percentage of families in the UK seeking infertility treatments as there are in the US? Or do you consider Donor Unknown an American story?
Trixie
Brooklyn
, New York
Like This
Answer ThisApr 05, 2011
05:58 AM
Hi, this is Hilary, one of the producers of Donor Unknown, stepping in while Jerry is filming in Ethiopia. We always thought of Donor Unknown as a human story which would touch people wherever they were. The starting point was the UK. It was inspired by a BBC drama we made here about donor conception. Jeffrey or Donor 150 read about it on the internet and got in touch. JoEllen's journey to find out more about who she is crosses boundaries of country, age, experience.... But to answer your question practically, there is a definite growth in the numbers seeking fertility treatments in the UK, though statistics can vary. We are experiencing a rise in women delaying motherhood. 1 in 6 couples experience infertility and seek medical help in conceiving at some point in their lives. Nearly 40,000 women each year have IVF treatment - and there are of course other treatments. And nearly 2% of babies in the UK are born as a consequence of IVF treatment. Hope that goes some way towards answering your question.
Where's my dinner?!?
Sam Rothwell
Brooklyn
, New York
Like ThisAnswer ThisApr 28, 2011
01:05 PM
It's in the oven, Sam. Use the phone next time.:)
Was donor 150 a "no" donor? And if he was, was the Cryobank helpful in contacting him to okay contact? My daughter is 15 from a Cryobank donor and she wants to contact her donor when she turns 18. Also we missed seeing the full movie, how can we see the whole thing now that the online date has expired? The clip was great. Thanks, Joanie
Joanie Mass
Brooklyn
, New York
Like ThisAnswer ThisMay 11, 2011
06:28 PM
Hi Joanie - When Jeffrey donated he was an anonymous donor - but the California Cryobank does offer families the option of writing to the donor once the child is 18 to see if they are willing to have contact. Jeffrey didn't come forward in that way though - he found a newspaper which told of two of his offspring meeting, which gave the donor number and identified the Cryobank. Realising that he was that donor, and after thinking about it for nearly a year, he decided to make contact. The full movie should go out on PBS in October, and show at more US festivals before that (I think we've entered it for Brooklyn FIlm Festival - so it may come near you!). If you join the facebook group, we'll post all festival screenings and broadcasts there. There's also some good discussion about the issues on the wall there.: http://www.facebook.com/DonorUnknown All the best Jerry
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