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Mark and Erik have been together for ten years, and they've decided it's time to have kids. But they don't want to adopt. Is there a woman out there willing to serve as a surrogate mother and help them realize their dream?
PATERNAL INSTINCT chronicles two years in the life of these New Yorkers on their journey to become fathers.
Mark, a computer engineer, and Erik, a land conservationist, choose to pursue parenthood through surrogacy, a process increasingly considered by gay couples as an alternative to adoption. "We have a great life, but I also felt like there's another chapter in life coming," comments Erik. Mark is initially less enthusiastic, because, he says, "I didn't want things between us to change." Partly for that reason, they decide that Mark's sperm will be used.
Placing a "NYC Gay Couple Seeks Surrogate" ad on the Internet, they begin the process of fulfilling their primordial desire to have biological children. Mark and Erik are delighted when they get a response from Wen, a married mother living in rural Maine. At an initial meeting in Boston, they work out the paperwork and payment, kicking off a two-year odyssey that will be filled with anxiety, disappointment and, ultimately, joy.
When Mark and Erik discuss starting a family with their parents, both sides are supportive of their decision. However, Erik's mother Marit wonders what it will be like for the birth mother to give up her baby. "As a mother, it's amazing to think that a woman would relinquish a child of her own," she observes. "It's just, not appalling, but it is amazing." Mark and Erik acknowledge that many women who learn of about their planned surrogacy have a similar response.
In addition to candid yet tastefully edited insemination scenes, PATERNAL INSTINCT includes footage of Mark and Erik at home in New York and relaxing with relatives at a lakeside country home. They travel frequently to Maine, getting to know Wen's own friends and family, especially her adolescent son Drew, who is refreshingly receptive to the idea of his mother being a surrogate to a gay couple. There are also scenes of Wen, accompanied by Mark and Erik, sharing the latest news of her surrogacy with members of her Unitarian church congregation.
Following two failures, Mark worries, "Maybe this is a sign not to have children at all." But after two more attempts, the pregnancy takes. All three keep their feelings in check as Wen's pregnancy progresses, this time without a hitch, finally producing Cecilia, a nine-pound baby girl.
PATERNAL INSTINCT has been featured at a number of domestic and international film festivals, including the recent Miami Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize. It was directed by Murray Nossel, whose other credits include the Oscar®-nominated short film "Why Can't We Be a Family Again?"
PATERNAL INSTINCT was produced by Murray Nossel and Craig Harwood; directed by Murray Nossel; edited by Susanne Rostock; director of photography, Edward Marritz; original music composed by Hahn Rowe. For CINEMAX Reel Life: consulting editor, Geoff Bartz; supervising producer, John Hoffman; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.
Academy Award® and Oscar® are registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
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