Twin Sisters: A World Apart BBC4 3/3/15
suesuesue
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Did anyone see this? Fascinating documentary about two couples, one American and one Scandinavian, who adopted a daughter each from China. They believed the girls were twins although this was denied by the Chinese authorities. They had DNA testing which confirmed they were identical twins. The story followed how they kept in touch so that the sisters could get to know each. Apart from the obvious physical similarity they shared the same mannerisms etc. it would be interesting to return to them every few years.
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The Norwegian twin had 2 older Sisters, I think we only saw the younger one.
The American twin had 1 older Brother IIRC from the Dad's side, don't remember seeing him at all.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b053pxdt
Documentary telling the poignant true story of twin sisters from China, found as babies in a cardboard box in 2003 and adopted by two separate sets of parents - one from California, the other from a remote fishing village in Norway.
In the US, Mia is raised a typical all-American girl, with a bustling life filled with violin lessons, girl scouts and soccer, while Alexandra grows up in the quietude of the breathtakingly beautiful but isolated village of Fresvik, Norway.
Neither of the adoptive parents were told their daughters were twins, but a chance sighting at the orphanage enabled them to keep in touch, until a DNA test proved their hunch had been right. Both girls grew up knowing they had an identical twin living on the other side of the world.
The film tells the remarkable story of their parallel journey, punctuated by only the odd visit, videos and photographs - until they meet for a longer visit in Norway when they are eight years old. Despite living completely different lives and speaking different languages, they are mirrors of each other - the magical bond between them is extraordinary.
This is the story of our notions of family - the genetic ones we inherit and the ones we create.
But ultimately the story was about two little sisters and how completely different their lives were but that didn't stop their similarities in spite of this; nature over nurture and all that. The US girl over protected by fearful parents in contrast to the Norwegian lasses absolute freedom. I think focussing on that worked and I'd like to see more in the future.
Having missed the first ten minutes, or so, I didn't realise they had siblings, I wish we had seen more of them. They portrayed the Norwegian twin as quite lonely in that beautiful, but very quiet area with little going on.
I'm assuming it was the older Sister helping with the horse riding near the end, just assuming though.
Oh btw I did giggle when Mussi did a bunk, the way she 'ahhhhhed' when she found the hole
IIRC isn't it the Russians or Chinese who've now put a block or a lot more restrictions on foreign adoptions.
I thought it utterly charming.
The coincidence that let the two sets of parents meet at the orphanage, the Norwegian couple originally due to fly out the day before.
The two mothers buying in advance, exactly the same dress for their baby to take it home, though one dress was purchased in Norway.
The fact that the kids looked so alike encouraging the parents to keep in touch.
The disparity between the domestic environments, one in a busy city like Sacramento, the other in a Norwegian coastal village of only just over 200 people, with only a coop and a school.
The necessity due to safety considerations, for the American child to be taken everywhere by car for any recreational activity. The fact that mail boxes on their street were locked.
The Norwegian kid every morning set out in the dark on her own for school.
Unlocked mail boxes. She was allowed to roam freely around the village on her own.
How alike they were, down to mannerisms that the American parent thought their child had picked up from school, but when they visited the sister in Norway, she had had exactly the same mannerisms.
The frustration with the language barrier experienced by the two children.
"So good, it's a programme worth watching twice."
It's one of those documentaries that comes along every once in a while that absolutely fascinates me (the last being, the polar opposite in subject, Ghosts of Cite Soleil) and no doubt I'll re-watch. Enjoyed the subject matter, the way it was shot, the music, the scenery. Lovely.
It really did prove its all about nature not nurture as despite totally different upbringings in that the American was given every opportunity going whilst the Norwegian one was happy playing with her mouse it found they were actually turning out exactly the same.
There's been every opportunity for a follow up as the sisters were born in 2003.
So they'll be twelve this year?
I was amused by the Norwegians' standard poodle, which later in the documentary was bouncing about in the snow like a large black rubber ball.
Several years earlier, it was seen in their kitchen, when Alexandra, still a baby was sitting on the floor rolling a ball backwards and forwards with her step sister? If you can say that of adopted children, about the child of only one of the parents.
The dog still had its puppy coat of pale grey fur. But was sensibly clad in a pair of kid's knickers.
This excellent programme is on i>Player and well worth watching.
They were incredibly similar - both in a red gingham, but not identical. One had a white collar and was plain whilst the other a red collar and embroidered flowers \animals on the front etc.
Though I suspect 'similar'dresses didn't make for as good a story.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b053pxdt/twin-sisters-a-world-apart
I highly recommend x
I too hope a follow up gets made, it would be utterly fascinating to see how there lives and relationship develops.
As I mentioned earlier, they were found in 2003, so they'd be twelve this year.
I'd have thought we'd have had a follow up by now. But maybe they've drifted apart and so there's been no interest. Or maybe the parents no longer wished to cooperate?
How hard do you think with all the distractions in Sacramento, that Mia would have tried to learn Norwegian? Alexandra's mother spoke passable English, so the problem would have been less for her. It's hard to keep up a dialogue at such long distances without a common language.
Yes agree ... happened upon this last night and it was a brilliant film and so beautifully shot and told, but I did think that it was clear the dresses were not identical and they held the shot long enough for it to be clear they were not identical so it made the claim slightly odd. I think it would have been enough to say that the American mother noticed the other baby as the dresses were so similar and was drawn to her because of that .. they didn´t have to make out they were identical dresses ...
Apart from that it was an incredible story. I found that I was full of awe for both sets of parents. It would have been very easy to ignore the possibility that they were twins and I think many people might have walked away frightened they would lose their baby, but these amazing people not only persevered to be sure of the truth but have also done everything they can to ensure their children know their biological twin. As the mother of twins I found it very very touching and also would have loved to have known more about how they were found. It´s so sad to think there are probably many more twins who were seperated and will never know they have a twin somewhere in the world.
I imagine the Norweigan twin will end up moving to the US as an adult, but would be great to know how they get on.
Found this online
Alexandra and Mia were 8-years-old when the documentary was filmed. They are now 11. Angela Hanson shared with me that the girls have been together several times since the documentary was filmed, “Our visits together have varied in time from a few days to a few weeks. “
Additionally, the girls FaceTime every weekend, “Alexandra is doing great with her English and the girls have no problem communicating.”
As I said in my post girls aren't especially wanted in China, so it probably goes without saying that any life they might have had would not have been great had they stayed. It's unbearably sad that human life is valued so little by some.
Thanks for the update on the girls. I guess the outcome is the best of a bad job. People eh? Dreadful creatures in so many ways.
Haven't read the article myself.
IMO highly watchable Storyville documentary for those who haven't seen in before.
Don't understand the scheduling of the often excellent Storyville. This one has had lots of repeats but others don't seem to get a second showing. I guess they're sitting on iplayer just don't know why they don't get aired more frequently on either BBC 4 or 2.
There are only 24 Storyville's on the on Iplayer.
Storyville is all bought-in content, I don't think the BBC has a hand it it at all, unlike Timeshift and Wonderland, I'm guessing it depends on what rights they've bought or have been allowed to buy.
Lots of Wonderland docs haven't been repeated or released on iplayer, now they've quietly dropped the strand altogether.
The girls will be about fourteen now, so it would be interesting to learn how their lives have progressed, how different from each other they are now and whether they still stay in regular contact or have seen each other recently.
At a guess I'd say the Norwegian girl will now be reasonably fluent in English, but with all the distractions, some of which we saw in the programme, the American girl might not know that much Norwegian.