Jean Strauss, the filmmaker of “ADOPTED: for the life of me”, as well as landmark short films, “The Triumvirate”, “Holding Hands”, and “Vital Records”, has been documenting adoptee access for a quarter of a century. Her own experience with legislation in California was enlightening to her – and she learned that what seemed simple on the surface, was rife with complicated statutes and situations. “ADOPTED: for the life of me” has its roots in both California and New Jersey – two states that are emblematic of the difficulties of changing antiquated laws.

The stories of the individuals involved in the making of “ADOPTED: for the life of me”, as well as Strauss’s other adoption films, continue to evolve. Updates on the lives of participants illuminate the fact that adoption issues are ever present in the lives of those citizens who are adopted…

Which is why we welcome you to share your own story here – or on the film’s Facebook page. While adoption reform is about changing often antiquated and dryly worded laws, the impetus for change comes from the stories of those whose lives have been directly affected by the sealing of records. How has secrecy affected you? In what way would your life be (or have been) different had such information been accessible? What’s your story?