Directed by Murray Nossel US, 2003, video, 74 min. South Florida Premiere

Mark and Erik are a handsome, successful New York couple who yearn for the next chapter of their life to begin. They want a baby, and they want to share with it a genetic bond. In this astonishing new documentary, these two men embark on a process that will utterly transform them, a process most heterosexual couples take for granted: the quest for a biological child. While it may be called Paternal Instinct, the heart and soul of this film is a woman. A short vivacious woman living in Maine with her husband and teenage son. A woman named Wen, who agrees to be a surrogate mother. "And get this," Erik giddily emails his mom, "she's a witch!" A good witch, rest assured, a practitioner of a New Age religion called Wicca. Compelled by a need to help gay men become parents, Wen agrees to carry and bear the couple's child, then relinquish parental rights. But the wrenching odyssey that ensues is more than these three ever bargained for. With unfettered access to the participants, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Murray Nossel charts every step, and the camera never flinches. Wiccan fertility rituals, graphic insemination attempts, explosive tension between Mark and Erik, Wen at her most raw - we witness every moment. Paternal Instinct is as polished as it is inspiring, as cinematically dramatic as it is politically urgent: Florida remains the only state in the U.S where gay adoption is legally outlawed.

Director Murray Nossel and Producer Craig Harwood will attend the screening to discuss the film with the audience.
Total running time: 74 min.
$12 non-members / $10 members

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