The primary purpose of this study guide is to provide a context for the film roots and expand on information

introduced. This guide is mainly for secondary students and adults who want to know more about adoption

disclosure, and it may also be used as a starting point for research.

Although the topic of adoption disclosure is generally not a subject in elementary or secondary schools, the guide

includes a list of related subjects and discussion topics appropriate for various audiences.

INDEX

S T U D Y G U I D E

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Natio

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Synopsis...............................................................2

Director’s Biography................................................3

Usage...................................................................4

The Roots of roots.................................................5

Exercises.............................................................. 6

Glossary................................................................7

Research interview quotes.....................................9

Canadian laws and government Internet sites........10

Additional Resources............................................11

“I just keep thinking, does my other mom love me? Does she think about me? What was it

like for her to give me away? Why can’t I find out? I need to know. It’s my story too.”

A bunch of grapes drops into a shopping cart. Most of them are green, but one red grape lies nestled among them.

“This is Carlos, our son from Chile,” the mother grape explains, introducing her adopted son.

And so begins a one-of-a-kind produce-eye journey through a supermarket — and through the highly sensitive issue

of adoption disclosure.

It’s Mother’s Day, and as the fruits and vegetables drop into the shopping cart, they quickly get caught up in a

conversation about origins and adoption. There’s a weepy apple whose tears have nothing to do with becoming part

of pie à la mode and everything to do with the mother she fears she’ll never find. A moralistic mushroom thinks

records should stay sealed, so birth mothers never have to confront their “shameful” past. And a potato whose

brother was raised by eggplants tries to keep the peace, while a most insensitive squash provides a steady diet of

ill-advised comments and frightening anecdotes cribbed from movie plots.

With its bright and a-peeling look, roots is a brilliant film that will help seed discussion among teens and adults.

Through the medley of opinions offered up by the checkout-bound produce, the film explores the rights of natural and

adoptive parents and children as they seek to learn more about themselves and each other. In many jurisdictions,

records are permanently sealed, denying birth information to parents and children alike.

While the film presents multiple points of view, it clearly comes down on the side of greater openness. Or, as one

outspoken orange puts it: “I tell you, this whole sealed records issue is pissing me off.”

Roots is directed by Alison Reiko Loader (herself an adoptee), written by Paul Bellini of the legendary comedy troupe

Kids in the Hall, and voiced by a who’s who cast, including Scott Thompson (Kids in the Hall, The Larry Sanders Show),

Mark McKinney (Kids in the Hall, Slings and Arrows), Cara Pifko (This is Wonderland) and Fiona Reid (Jacob Two-Two,

My Big Fat Greek Wedding), along with comic and talk-show host Maggie Cassella (Because I Said So).

S Y N O P S I S

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While directing Showa Shinzan, her first animated film for the NFB, Alison Reiko Loader began

searching for her birth family. She had no idea that there was a huge amount of controversy

surrounding the issue of adoption disclosure — and when she discovered passionate

activists leading the charge for open adoption records, she knew she had found a topic ripe

for animation.

While working on roots, Alison — who enjoys working with plants in her garden as well as with

virtual produce on the screen — also kept busy with a number of other projects. She interned on Chris Landreth’s

Oscar-winning animated short Ryan and co-directed the independent abstract film experiment 02_06 with her

mentor, Donald McWilliams. Her next project is another innovative leap, involving an attempt to virtually fold

stereoscopic paper. In addition to her work as a filmmaker, Alison also teaches courses in Computation Arts at

Concordia University.

CAST

Maggie Cassella | Orange

Mark McKinney | Red Pepper, Turnip, Squash

Cara Pifko | Apple, Carlos, Green Pepper

Fiona Reid | Mother Grape and Mushroom

Scott Thompson | Father Grape and Potato

DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY

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Recommended for viewers age 14 and up

Secondary and Post-Secondary Subjects

Social studies, identity, family & kinship, law, ethics

Women’s studies, sociology, anthropology

Social work, psychology

Adoption Organizations and Professionals (professional training, workshops)

Adoption agencies

Adoptive family organizations

Social workers working in adoption placement and/or disclosure

Adoption search, reunion and support groups

Disclosure advocates and opponents

Activists and lobbyists

Legislators (provincial for adoption disclosure/federal for reproductive technologies)

U S A G E

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With an English name that sits in contradiction to my Japanese face, I have spent much of my life explaining topeople that I am adopted. While it’s a fact that never particularly troubled me, it took a long time for me to decideto search for my natural parents. I worried that my finding them would open a huge can of worms and so Isuppressed my curiosity and tried not to think about it. Still, I wondered about my medical history. Was there cancerin my family? Heart disease? Diabetes? What would I pass on to my children? Finally, after turning 30, at my family’surging and a realization that there was nothing wrong with wanting to know where I came from, I decided to searchfor my roots.

By that time, I had seen so many televised reunion shows that I had not actually thought about how difficult searchescould be. Yet in the 1990s in Canada, adoption records had been closed for decades and the waiting list for agovernment search in Ontario (where my adoption was finalized) was around five years. The situation was not muchbetter elsewhere. That meant a lot of annoyed searchers.

As I conducted my own personal research, I soon discovered a whole subculture of adoptees and natural mothersfrom all sorts of backgrounds. They had not only created support networks but had become impassioned activistsfighting for the right to their own records. More and more adoption disclosure bills were being introduced tolegislatures across North America. When I went to my first Parent Finders Meeting and listened to a man fume overan unsuccessful attempt to get a hospital to release his own birth records, I knew I wanted to make a film.

Because it was so topical and affected so many people at a deeply personal level, I wanted to introduce adoptiondisclosure to a wider audience and explain some of the controversy around it. It is a weighty and emotional issuebut I also wanted to make a funny film.

That’s where writer Paul Bellini came in. While I was busy making fruit and vegetable characters, Paul took mymountain of research compiled from the books, articles and recorded interviews and rolled it into one rollickingscript. He wrote characters for his own acquaintances, including comics Scott Thompson and Maggie Cassella, andthen he helped cast and voice-direct the partially improvised recording sessions. After an early sound edit with soundeditor (and shopper!) Marco Fania, animator Stephanie Duong and I went to work. Jason Lee worked on prop design,Zacharie Faye filmed a real grocery store, Oana Suteu did the edit, and Luigi Allemano worked his magic with musicand sound design. For a small production, there was a great deal of creative collaboration and simply too manypeople to thank. Nevertheless, I am indebted to all the terrific professionals who helped with the production and allthe wonderful adoptees and natural mothers who shared their stories with us. I especially hope this film merits allthe help given me by the adoption community. Their generosity and dedication have been most impressive.

Since I started my search, adoption records have opened in four provinces in Canada due in part to the lobbyingefforts of disclosure activists. Sometime this year I should be able to apply for my original birth certificate. But thatstill leaves many searchers in the dark. Is it not a basic human need to know who you are and where you camefrom? And what about the future and reproductive technologies? While open adoptions are increasingly common,many children are now being born as a result of anonymous eggs, sperm and embryo donations. Is it ethical topromote yet another system that effectively cuts individuals off from their roots? I don’t think so. But then again,who am I?

T H E R O O T S O F R O O T S

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The following questions and discussion topics are suitable for viewers of different ages and backgrounds. They maybe used at the discretion of educators and group facilitators for discussions or individual written exercises.

General questions about the film (for all ages)

1. Who were your favourite and least favourite characters in roots? Why?

2. Why do you think the filmmaker chose to portray characters as fruits and vegetables rather than as humans?

3. How would you design a fruit or vegetable character? Describe its personality.

The disclosure debate

1. The characters of roots are discussing the topic of adoption disclosure. Summarize their arguments for andagainst opening adoption records.

2. Do you think adoption records should be available to searching adult adoptees? Natural mothers? Other familymembers? Why or why not?

3. Canadian provinces that have open records have vetoes restricting access. Disclosure vetoes allow individualadoption records to be permanently sealed. Contact vetoes make it illegal for searchers to contact their birthrelatives. What do you think about such vetoes? Who should have the right to impose them and under whatconditions?

4. Canadian provinces without open records legislation maintain passive registries (which match relativesrequesting contact) and do active searches on behalf of adult adoptees. Why do you think disclosure activistsremain dissatisfied with these allowances?

5. What would you write in a letter to your legislative representative about the issue of adoption disclosure?

6. What would you write in a letter to your birth parent or birth child if you wanted to find them? What would youwrite if you didn’t want them to find you?

For more information about teaching adoption in schools, the online “Teacher’s Guide to Adoption” is located here:www.familyhelper.net/ad/adteach.html

SUGGESTIONS FOR EXERCISES

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adoptee, adoptive mother, birthmother, natural mother

Apple tells the others she is adopted and does not know her “real mother.” Adoptive Mother Grape immediatelycorrects her, saying “you mean birthmother,” the term used to describe a woman who has relinquished a child toadoption. Turnip prefers the term natural mother. Apple, Green Pepper, Red Pepper, Orange and Carlos are adoptees.

open adoption

The Grapes family have an open adoption with little Carlos. That means Carlos and his natural mother know eachother’s identity. Open adoptions are common in much of Canada but contact agreements are not legally enforceable.

identifying information

Unfortunately both Apple and Green Pepper had closed adoptions and their adoption records remain sealed. Theywant their identifying information to find out their original names and who their natural families are. A naturalmother like Turnip would like her child’s amended birth certificate to have his or her adoptive name.

open records, disclosure vetoes, no-contact vetoes

Open records or adoption disclosure means adoptees and their relatives have access to identifying information.Some places with open records have disclosure vetoes that allow an individual’s records to be sealed uponrequest and/or no-contact vetoes which, if violated, may be punishable by fine and/or jail time.

non-identifying information

Potato’s brother was adopted and raised on an eggplant farm. That would be considered non-identifyinginformation since it does not reveal the adoptee’s name or whereabouts. This type of information is normallyaccessible even where adoption records are sealed although it is not always complete or accurate and rarely up-to-date.

searches, passive registries

Green Pepper urges Apple to search for her natural mother. In the absence of open records, Apple may try agovernment-run passive registry that connects birth relatives who come forward and register independently as wellas many Internet reunion registries that try to connect individuals by birthdate and birthplace. Government socialworkers will search on behalf of adult adoptees (and sometimes birth relatives) although they frequently have longwaiting lists, and identifying information will not be released without consent. (For more information on Canadianlaw and government agencies, scroll down to the section on government.)

C O N T E X T / G L O S S A R Y

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confidentiality

In Mushroom’s opinion, the opening of adoption records violates the privacy and confidentiality of the birthmother.This is the most common argument against retroactively opening adoption records. Disclosure activists argue thatany confidentiality promises were not based on law.

rights

Carlos asks if he has rights and wonders what they are.

The UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD,

www.canadiancrc.com/UN_CRC_webpage/UN_CRC.htm was created in 1989 and Canada ratified it at theConvention in 1991. In 2003, the CRC (Convention on the Rights of the Child) concluded that “Canada was notsufficiently guaranteeing adopted children’s right to know their parents,” which is clearly stated in articles 7 and 8:

The child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the rightto acquire a nationality and, as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents.

States Parties undertake to respect the right of the child to preserve his or her identity, includingnationality, name and family relations as recognized by law without unlawful interference.

Where a child is illegally deprived of some or all of the elements of his or her identity, States Parties shallprovide appropriate assistance and protection, with a view to re-establishing speedily his or her identity.

grassroots

Without open records, even the most arduous search for a birth relative is often frustrating and fruitless. Thussearchers often become deeply politicized as they encounter systematic roadblocks. They may, like Orange,participate in grassroots campaigns lobbying politicians to open sealed adoption records. No doubt some of theiractivities have been instrumental in recent legislative changes in Canada and the United States.

genetic sexual attraction

Squash mentions a zucchini who comes on to her birth son. While this is likely just another of his outlandish bidsfor attention, genetic sexual attraction between close relatives may happen more frequently among birth relativeswho meet as adults as a consequence of their not growing up together. While no one interviewed for rootsadmitted experiencing this phenomenon, many of them did feel an intense connection upon first meeting theirlost kin.

C O N T E X T / G L O S S A R Y

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RESEARCH INTERV IEWS

THE SEARCH

I couldn’t access parts of me because they were off in this land ofadoption. So it was going through my journey and making someconnections that opened doors not into my biological heritage, notinto just that aspect of my past but into me, all my life. So it was veryimportant for me to search.

Adoptee

Well, it is my right to find my daughter. She is, after all, my offspringand I think everybody has a right to know their offspring as well astheir ancestors. Just as the adoptees have the right to know wherethey came from, I think we parents have the right to know whathappened to our children.

Natural mother

Yes, I always expected that I would be able to find her… I thoughtabout her every single, and this is not an exaggeration, every singleday of the week.

Natural mother

OPEN RECORDS

There is no way, in the current system, to just find out about yourselfwithout being forced into a reunion that you may not want. It’s verypaternalistic.

Adoptee

Oh, they have all the information on me. They know exactly who I am.In my case, there’s a full file with all information. And it’s sofrustrating that they have it and I can’t see it.

Adoptee

We should have a completely different system. It seems to me thatwhen an adopted person turns 18 or 21… we should be able to go toan office run by the government just like any other office, VitalStatistics, whatever, and apply for our original birth certificate. Thebirthmother should be able to apply for the amended one. .. It shouldbe that easy. Instead of that, we have set up a system that iscomplex, time-consuming, backlogged, ineffective, unequal, veryunequal in the service delivery. Awful.

Natural mother

Records to me have to be absolutely opened unconditionally, novetoes. Disclosure vetoes prevent some people from knowing whothey are. But if it’s a right, if having your own information is a right,than you can’t deny it to some people. When you have conditionalaccess with contact vetoes, that’s like have a restraining order onsomeone who hasn’t done anything other than share some geneticmaterial with somebody. I don’t think you can put a restraining orderon someone just because they share your genes.

Adoptee

NATURAL MOTHERS & CONFIDENTIALITY

… the birthmothers say to me, “Look, I can’t go on the news and say‘I’m Mary Smith’ and I gave a child up and I don’t want it known.” Sothe emails and letters I get from the opposite side say, “We can’t fightback properly. Absolutely, hands tied behind our back.” So althoughyou may get the impression from the media and the consultationthat’s there’s no opposition, the opposition can’t oppose.

MPP, adoptive father

Past confidentiality agreements, where people did certain acts on thebasis of certain presumptions, raise different ethical questions. As tothe future there is no question. As to the past, we have to weigh upthe harm and let’s say a man gave sperm, he believed it was nevergoing to be disclosed that he was the sperm donor. Then to breachthat confidentiality is a breach of trust and that’s an ethical wrong andthat’s of ethical concern.

Ethicist

You’re told never to talk about it again and you don’t. So it’s almost apost-traumatic stress for the birthmom when a knock or a phone call,that this child that you’ve locked away in your mind, that you don’t talkabout, appears.

Adoptee

By keeping adoption records closed, we’re keeping the mother, thenatural mother, still in the dark and in the shadows, and that is shaming.

Natural mother

REUNIONS

You know I was always afraid that I wouldn’t, that I’d, you know, thatI’d find a grave, that something would have gone wrong, that I’d havemissed her. I didn’t want to leave it too late. So just having the chanceto get to know her, to know what she’s like, to know how she felt, whatthe experience was like for her and, to get the very beginning of mystory. That was, that was so wonderful.

Adoptee

...we weren’t interested in knowing. Didn’t care. And then somebodyfound me, a half… a sister found me and it was like “Ho hum.” Didn’tmean anything to me, I was kind of like “Pfft… So you found me. I’myou’re sister, whoopee doo.” You know, and I still feel that way and Ifeel badly, feeling that way.

Adoptee

There was this full recognition—full—like a full body recognition thatyou only feel with your intimates, your parents. I recognized her. Mybody—I had never consciously met this woman before in my life. Iknew her.

Adoptee

I recognized her, she’s my daughter. She looks like my children. Shelooks like my husband and it was the most wonderful, glorious,delightful, pinch-me-I-can’t-believe-it’s-real feeling.

Natural mother

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The following are a small sampling from a series of interviews conducted

during the research phases for roots. We recorded about ten hours — mostly

birthmothers and adoptees located through various adoption support groups

and by word of mouth. I also spoke with two ethicists, a social worker who was

herself adopted and a parliamentarian who had been critical of disclosure.

Jurisdictions with closed records maintain passive registries to facilitate contact between birth relatives whovoluntarily register, and perform searches (prioritizing those where health is a significant factor) and give out non-identifying information. Jurisdictions without open records do not give out identifying information without consent(after a search). Some places may only search on behalf of adoptees. For detailed and up-to-date information, checkwith the government agencies listed below.

AlbertaChildren’s Serviceswww.child.gov.ab.ca/whatwedo/postadoptionregistry/page.cfm?pg=index

British Columbia Vital Statistics www.vs.gov.bc.ca/adoption/releas_adopt.htmlChildren and Family Development www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/adoption/

ManitobaFamily Services and Housingwww.gov.mb.ca/fs/childfam/registry.html

New BrunswickFamily and Community Serviceswww.app.infoaa.7700.gnb.ca/gnb/Pub/EServices/ListServiceDetails.asp?ServiceID1=9375&ReportType1=All

Newfoundland and LabradorVital Statisticswww.gs.gov.nl.ca/gs/vs/adoption-records.stm

Northwest TerritoriesHealth and Social Serviceswww.hlthss.gov.nt.ca/Features/Programs_and_Services/adoption/pdf/post_adoption_services.pdf

Nova ScotiaDepartment of Community Serviceswww.gov.ns.ca/coms/families/adoption_disclosure.html

NunavutHealth and Social Serviceswww.gov.nu.ca/hsssite/hssmain.shtmlfor records prior to 1999, contact Northwest Territories

OntarioMinistry of Community and Social Serviceswww.mcss.gov.on.ca/mcss/english/pillars/community/programs/adopt_legislation.htm

Prince Edward Island Child and Family Serviceswww.gov.pe.ca/infopei/index.php3?number=18537&lang=E

Quebec Secrétariat à l’adoption internationalewww.canlii.org/qc/legis/loi/p-34.1/20061117/tout.htmlYouth Centres (Centre jeunesse)www.acjq.qc.ca/www.batshaw.ca/home_r800.asp

SaskatchewanFamily Serviceswww.dcre.gov.sk.ca/services/famyouth/Adoption/ado6.html

YukonChildren’s Services, Health and Social Serviceswww.gov.yk.ca/services/abc/social_services.html

C A N A D I A N L A W S

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Adoption laws fall under provincial and territorial jurisdiction. To date, four provinces have retroactively openedadoption records allowing adult adoptees and birth relatives access to identifying information:

1996 British Columbia Adoption Act, effective 1996 | Disclosure Veto, No-Contact Declaration

1999 Newfoundland & Labrador Adoption Act, effective 2003 | Disclosure Veto, No-Contact Declaration

2003 Alberta Child, Youth & Family Enhancement Act, effective 2004 | Disclosure Veto

2005 Ontario Adoption Information Disclosure Act, effective 2007 | No-Contact Notice

Government (see Canadian law section)

A sampling of Search and Reunion Support Groups and Adoption Registries

The Canadian Council of Natural Mothers www.nebula.on.ca/canbmothers/index.htm

Canadian Adoptees Registry www.canadianadopteesregistry.org/index.html

Canadopt www.canadopt.ca

Kindred Pursuits North American Registry www.kindredpursuits.org/

Mouvements Retrouvailles www.mouvement-retrouvailles.qc.ca/fr/organisation.asp

Parent Finders of Canada www.parentfinders.org/

Activist Groups(The previously listed support groups also have activist branches)

Bastard Nation www.bastards.org/

Coalition for Open Adoption Records Ontario www.geocities.com/coarontario/

The First Mothers Action Group www.exiledmothers.com/first_mothers_action.html

Origins Canada www.originscanada.org/

Canadian Books and PublicationsHere are a few online bibliographies that include reading material about Canadian adoption history. Several more areavailable online.

ACC (Adoption Council of Canada) Publication List www.adoption.ca/publications.htm

The Adoption History Project Further Reading List http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~adoption/reading.html

Trained Tales Book List www.cuckoografik.org/trained_tales/orp_pages/bibliography.html

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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Adoption-related Films and Videos from Canada

NFB Productions

Adoption: Children Are Waiting, Laurie Jennings, 28 min, 1980Alone Together, Paul Emile d’Entremont, 1 hour, 2001Baby Business, Judy Jackson, 1 hour, 1995Bye Bye Blues, Joanna Moss, 29 min, 1973Chosen Children, Bernard Devlin, 15 min, 1954Foster Child, Gil Cardinal, 43 min, 1987French Man, Native Son, 27 min, 1997A Further Glimpse of Joey, Don Owe, 28 min, 1966In Search of Home, Roger Blais, 11 min, 1953 Joey, Graham Parker, 28 min, 1964Listen to Us…Part 3 - Chelsea/Naseem/Sandy, Sally Bochner & Wolf Koenig, 45 min, 1991To My Birthmother, Beverley Shaffer, 55 min, 2002

Non-NFB Productions

Alice In Big Noses’ Land, Nicole Giguère, 52 min, 2003www.movingimages.ca/Catalogue/Cultdiverse/alicebignoses.html

Art of Autobiography, Dana Inkster, 48 min, 2003www.vtape.org/Action.Lasso?-Response=record_detail.htm&-Search=Action&-Table=pweb&-Database=Vtape_tapes&-KeyValue=60976&layout=web

Confronting the Past, Coleen Rajotte, 3 x 48 min, 2003www.telefilm.gc.ca/data/production/prod_2495.asp?lang=en&

From Russia, For Love, Julia Ivanova, 53 min, 2003www.interfilm.ca/films_russia.htm

Infinity Child, Lori Reid, 6 min, 2003www.movingimages.bc.ca/Catalogue/Individual/infinitychild.html

The Journey Home: A Romania Adoption, Abbey Neidik, 1 hour, 2000www.dliproductions.ca/thejourneyhome/index.html

Made In China: The Story of Adopted Chinese Children in Canada, Karin Lee, 47 min, 2000www.movingimages.ca/Catalogue/Cultdiverse/Cultdiverse_gn.html#00add34

Offspring, Barry Stevens, 42 or 60 min, 2001www.telefilm.gc.ca/data/production/prod_740.asp?lang=en&cat=tv&g=doc&y=2002

Original Kin (3-part series, PTV Productions, 2004)www.ptvproductions.ca/releasing/originalkin.html

Annie Ong: Lost and Found, dir. Stefan Randstrom,Broken Roots, dir. Susan Chang,Relativity, dir. Brenda Kovrig

Subrosa, Helen Lee, Canada/Korea, 22 min, 2000www.wmm.com/filmcatalog/pages/c530.shtml

Whose Child Is This?, Jerry Thompson, 48 min, 1994www.filmakers.com/indivs/WhoseChild.htm

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