Dear Friends,

I am beyond excited to announce that the documentary on our family – Love, Chaos, Kin will premiere at CAAMFest on May 11th Sunday at 2:00 PM. The screening followed by a Q&A will be at the AMC Kabuki 1 theater in San Francisco. Link to buy tickets here.

This film has been eight years in the making. It has seen my older daughters grow from awkward tweens to graceful teens, my youngest from a baby into a gawky tween. I have gone from being a stay at home mother to switching jobs three times. Life happened as the film took form. This is an incredibly surreal moment for me as a subject of the documentary as well as someone who has had the privilege to watch a film take form from over two hundred hours of footage. So, come celebrate with me. Stay with me as I watch the film take flight.

Synopsis: An unexpected pregnancy compels an Indian immigrant mother to help her adopted twin daughters reconnect with their White birth mother and estranged Native American father, exposing raw class divides while transforming their understanding of identity and belonging.

The CAAM-funded film emerged from director Chithra Jeyaram (Foreign Puzzle) and her desire to adopt. The film weaves together observational scenes, animated sequences, and reflective thoughts. It also unpacks the concept of open adoption, revealing the persistent ongoing effort needed to build authentic relationships between the children, birth, and adoptive parents regardless of race, class, or geographic location. This is a CAAMFest Centerpiece Documentary presentation.

If you are in San Francisco/Bay Area or vicinity and do make it out to the screening, please come by and say hi! Our family will be there. If you plan to be there, let me know. Please share widely in your circles.

Much love,

Lakshmi.