PÖFF: Lost and Found: Thirty Years, Not Together

PÖFF30 | Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | 6-22 november 2026 | Cinema Artis

Until 1989, abortion was largely banned in Romania. In the years that followed, around 30,000 children were adopted abroad amid bribery, forged documents and other abuses. Fifteen-year-old Afize gave birth to Ghiulsecen Adim in difficult circumstances. At just two months old, the baby was sold for $1,000 and adopted by a Canadian family, growing up as Jessica Froud. Raised in a creative environment, Jessi began searching for her birth mother and biological father, hoping to understand her roots and identity. Her journey to Romania would change her life, revealing more than she could ever have imagined. Over eight years of filming in three countries, first-time director Laurentiu Garofeanu follows Jessi’s search and investigates her painful separation from her younger sister. During production, another adopted woman, Paula, unexpectedly contacts him after coming across the film’s synopsis and recognising her own story. Her account leads him deeper into unregistered births, falsified records and a heartbreaking history.

Edvinas Pukšta