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Writer | Director

Brisbane girl Anna Cook was born in The Philippines and was adopted by her Australian parents when she was 18 months old. Although her adoptive family is supporting and loving, Anna has secretly yearned for her birth mother in wistful dreams every day of her life.

The film joins Anna as she searches for her birth mother. When she finally locates her, “It’s like I’ve jumped all the hurdles and it’s a clear run, straight to the finish.” But with a lifetime of fantasy behind her, the reunion with her mother could trigger an explosion between dreams and a harsher reality. Meanwhile, the spectre of Anna’s birth mother is surprisingly painful for adoptive mother Sue, and a complex triangle emerges. Anna thinks the search to find her mother is almost over. Perhaps it has only just begun.

Title Are You My Mother?
Writer/Director Ili Baré
Production Company Screenworld for SBS TV
Date 2009

Award

Awards-finalist-large

Australian Directors’ Guild Award for Best Direction in a Documentary Series, 2010

Reviews

“courageous … their story deserves to be seen and shared … extraordinary … a real emotional revelation”
– The Guide

“compelling and touching viewing”
– The Australian (listed as one of the week’s best)

“fascinating … the program had me in tears”
– The Age

“wrenching and intimate …”
– The Sydney Morning Herald