The documentary Three Identical Strangers has been generating a lot of buzz lately so I decided to see it Tuesday afternoon. It is one of the most thought-provoking documentaries I've ever seen and there was a moment near the end that made me quite emotional. This true story begins in 1980 when Robert Shafran, at age nineteen, goes to college and is mistaken for Edward Galland. When the two eventually meet they discover that, not only do they look identical, but they share the same birthday and were both adopted through the same adoption service. As media coverage about the twins separated at birth intensifies, David Kellman realizes that he is also their brother. The three brothers immediately bond with each other and become inseparable. They realize that their lives have very similar parallels and that they have much in common. They are happy to be together but their adoptive parents are angry and demand answers as to why they were separated without their knowledge. The adoption agency gives an unsatisfactory answer so they begin digging and find something more sinister than they could have imagined. They were separated as part of a psychological study but the results were never published or released and all information relating to the study has been sealed. The narrative leads the audience to make certain conclusions about nature vs. nurture but the brothers come to their own conclusion when tragedy strikes. I found this conclusion to be very hopeful for families with adopted children and it brought tears to my eyes. This is an incredibly powerful documentary that I highly recommend!
Note: This has been a great year for documentaries! Click the links for my commentaries on Believer, RBG, and Won't You Be My Neighbor?
sounds fascinating - will have to go see this
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