Film

Paternal Instinct

2004 · 1h 15m · Romance · Documentary

IMDb

7.3

Metacritic

65

In contrast to the recent spate of gay parent documentaries Paternal Instinct is a fascinating and absorbing insight into the breeding process. We follow two gay men in their search for a suitable surrogate mother, a Wiccan from Maine, and then the agonizing three year long process of trying to get her pregnant. There is the anguish as they discover the impotent link in the fathering chain, the comedy of the repetitive conception rituals and the ecstasy of the birth of their child. With unfettered access to the participants, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Murray Nossel charts every step, and the camera never flinches. Whether you're into the whole parenting thing or not, the sheer humanity of this piece makes it totally absorbing.

• Murray NosselDirector

Release date

July 31, 2004

Status

Released

Original language

English

Runtime

1h 15m

Genres

Romance, Documentary

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