Frozen Angels

Sunny California is not just a factory of dreams. Thanks to Californian magicians, the genetic engineers with high salaries and headquartered in reproductive clinics, rich childless pairs can fulfill their dreams of conceiving a child. German documentary filmmaker Frauke Sandig and her partner Eric Blafl did not intend to show the West Coast as a postcard of paradise, rather they wanted to show an opposing point–of–view. California is often shown in semi–darkness, where the terraced homes stand out like Lego buildings, and the industrial construction in the suburbs are often the sites of this genetic engineering. These pictures are taken from where few tourists, absorbed in taking photos of luxury homes, ever go. It is able to bring the social context of the reproductive system into the film, thanks to which childless couples can find suitable candidates to provide a healthy egg and sperm. It is difficult to believe that the donors participate in the program for humanitarian reasons rather than the financial compensation which can provide enough money to help them get by for a while. On the other hand, the couples that benefit from the treatment must be able to provide substantial financial resources. From the polyphonic character of the documentary film, which does not avoid the ideas of any of the parties, an alarming statistic stands out: ninety percent of the requested "results" should have white skin, blond hair and blue eyes.