O V E R V I E W
Beyond Conception is an intimate portrait of a gay male couple, an egg donor, and a lesbian surrogate who find themselves on a high-tech journey to build a modern family. Over two bumpy years of disappointments and triumphs, they discover the complexities of creating life using unconventional means.
W H A T ’ S T H E S T O R Y ?
After adopting an adorable baby girl, Paul and Bruce are ready to expand their family a little further. Surrogacy seems like the safest and simplest route. Through the assistance of an obliging surrogacy agency, they set out to find the perfect womb and the perfect egg. They are matched with Jennifer, a vivacious lesbian mom who loves being pregnant and fantasizes about bringing someone else’s child into the world, and Jade, a 19 year-old who is donating her eggs for the fifth time. Blithely, the group sets off on a reproductive journey that proves to be both technologically complex and emotionally volatile. The drama intensifies when Jennifer’s partner, Jenna, reveals a fantasy of her own, and visits the local sperm bank in the hopes of getting pregnant herself. Throughout the twists and turns, the film follows its subjects with intimacy, curiosity, and humor. At the same time, it raises challenging questions about forming biological families through technological means. How much do genetics really matter? Is surrogacy more than a womb for rent? And what is best for the children themselves?
Beyond Conception is an intimate portrait of a gay male couple, an egg donor, and a lesbian surrogate who find themselves on a high-tech journey to build a modern family. Over two bumpy years of disappointments and triumphs, they discover the complexities of creating life using unconventional means.
W H A T ’ S T H E S T O R Y ?
After adopting an adorable baby girl, Paul and Bruce are ready to expand their family a little further. Surrogacy seems like the safest and simplest route. Through the assistance of an obliging surrogacy agency, they set out to find the perfect womb and the perfect egg. They are matched with Jennifer, a vivacious lesbian mom who loves being pregnant and fantasizes about bringing someone else’s child into the world, and Jade, a 19 year-old who is donating her eggs for the fifth time. Blithely, the group sets off on a reproductive journey that proves to be both technologically complex and emotionally volatile. The drama intensifies when Jennifer’s partner, Jenna, reveals a fantasy of her own, and visits the local sperm bank in the hopes of getting pregnant herself. Throughout the twists and turns, the film follows its subjects with intimacy, curiosity, and humor. At the same time, it raises challenging questions about forming biological families through technological means. How much do genetics really matter? Is surrogacy more than a womb for rent? And what is best for the children themselves?