Falling pregnant as a teenager in Ireland in 1952, Philomena was sent to the convent of Roscrea to be looked after as a “fallen woman”. When her baby was only a toddler, he was taken away by the nuns for adoption in America. Philomena spent the next fifty years searching for him in vain.
Then she met Martin Sixsmith, a world-weary political journalist who happened to be intrigued by her story. Together they set off for America on a journey that would not only reveal the extraordinary story of Philomena’s son, but also create an unexpectedly close bond between them.
The film is a compelling narrative of human love and loss and ultimately celebrates life. It is both funny and sad and concerns two very different people, at different stages of their lives, who help each other and show that there is laughter even in the darkest places.
The book “The Lost Child Of Philomena Lee” was published in 2009. It acted as a catalyst for thousands of adopted Irish children and their ‘shamed’ mothers to come forward to tell their stories. Many are still searching for their lost families.
Sadly, this same true story plays out in today’s world where poor mothers particular those that are single have little option but to relinquish their children for cash. Us Armenians know this story all too well and this behavior continues although it has been curtailed with more procedures and additional layers of checks and balances.
In Ireland the Catholic Church was responsible for much of this, separating the children from their mothers and unlawfully detaining the mothers in work laundry. They church took possession of their children and without the mother’s permission sold the children into Adoption, mostly to Americans.
How is it that a woman with money in the west can abuse the rights of a poor single woman in a country where their rights are not heard? Watch the movie it is great and up for 4 academy awards.
No comments:
Post a Comment