Lost and Found
Since the 1980s, China has seen a rise in orphaned children, as parents have chosen to have more sons than girls. This policy has resulted in an increase in the number of orphans, as well as a decrease in the number of adoptions.
The documentary, Found, looks at the policy of splitting up a child’s run-time in China. It examines how this policy has affected both orphans and Chinese parents alike. The documentary is made up of two parts: the first part looks at how the policy has affected orphans, and the second part looks at how it has affected Chinese parents.
The film follows the girls as they explore their ancestry and try to find their birth parents, as well as the secrets of their family tree. Along the way, they must navigate the complicated world of online privacy and social media, and face the challenges of growing up in a digital age.
The documentary begins with a focus on three families in the United States. After some introductions, the attention splits at the midway point. It’s here that the girls enlist the help of a geneticist in China called Liu who sets out to try and find their birth parents. This interesting shift marks the highlight of the whole documentary, as the run-time jumps between the USA and China.
The establishing shots for both work to contrast the difference in culture between the East and West, as well as diving into more personal questions and ideas about this one-child policy.
In China, the decision to leave a child behind is often seen as a difficult one, but it’s also seen as a necessary one. From teary-eyed confessions to bitter regret painted on glum faces, Found does a great job tapping into the human side of this issue that’s sometimes overlooked.
While the documentary does not provide many meaningful answers or really tap into the wider cultural effect of China’s one-child policy, Found ultimately serves as a fly on the wall experience. In that respect, Netflix have produced a pretty decent watch here and there. There is an undeniable desire to see these girls gain some closure by the time the final credits roll.
The film struggles with its musical montages that don’t always work as well as they could. There’s obviously a lot of emotion in this quest and I can’t help but feel that sometimes this would have benefited from a more tranquil, subdued soundtrack.
Despite the small gripes I had with Found, it was an incredibly well-written and emotionally powerful documentary. This is a great fly-on-the-wall documentary that captures the effects of the One-Child policy in China on a very personal and grounded level.
