Sunshine

Director/producer Karen Skloss talks about her family members’ reactions to the film, Kleenex as a required viewing accessory, and taking the filmmaker’s leap of faith “to go for it all on camera.”

Independent Lens: What impact do you hope this film will have?

Karen Skloss: Ultimately, I hope this film helps people appreciate their own unusual families by lessening the isolation and stigma associated with adoption and single parenthood. Love and commitment are what really makes family, not the superficial stuff.

IL: What led you to make this film?

KS: As a single mother, I’d wanted to understand (and hopefully overcome) my own feelings of inferiority. I thought that if I explored issues surrounding single parenthood, I might be able to take more pride in my own little family.

IL: What were some of the challenges you faced in making SUNSHINE?

KS: Initially, I hadn’t set out to tell my own story. The plan was to explore themes surrounding single parenthood through other people’s stories. However, as things developed, it became clear that the story I had to tell was actually my own — and that was truly a terrifying proposition.

IL: How did you gain the trust of the subjects in your film?

KS: Most of the subjects in the film are in my immediate family. Still, asking them to put themselves out there with such personal subject matter was scary. I tried my best to explain what I hoped to accomplish with the film, but sometimes you never really know until you get to the finish line. Some of the topics in my film cut very close to the bone, so it was kind of a leap of faith to go for it all on camera. At the end of the day we just closed our eyes and jumped.

IL: What would you have liked to include that didn’t make the cut?

KS: My co-parent, Jeremy, was raised in large part by his single, gay father. I think this experience gave him a unique model when it came time to set up our own parenting arrangement. However, including his dad as a character was too tangential to the central story.

IL: Tell us about a scene that especially moved or resonated with you.

KS: There are a number of times when my biological mother tells me things about my own past for the first time, including what she had named me before she said goodbye. I learned so much about myself in the process of making this film. It hasn’t all been easy, but I would not trade it for anything. Also, there is some very precious footage of my daughter being born with both my adoptive and biological mothers there to witness it. I cried over and over again while editing those scenes.

IL: What has the audience response been so far? Have the people featured in the film seen it, and if so, what did they think?

KS: I’ve been told that Kleenex is a required accessory. Every time I’ve shown the film for audiences in the adoption triad, I’ve cried too. These are deep issues and it means a lot to be able to connect with other people over them. Luckily, there is a lot of humor in the film too.

My adoptive parents are crazy about the film. My daughter also loves the movie. I’ve been making it her entire life, so she doesn’t know things any other way. Her father likes the movie, but is generally a shy person, so I think he’s participated in the project based on principle. My biological mother and her family have had a little more trouble processing the film. There are some delicate issues at play, but it means so much to me that they believed in the project enough to take the leap and share their part of the story.

IL: Why did you choose to present SUNSHINE on public television?

KS: I feel it is the best venue for a story like this.

IL: What didn’t you get done when you were making your film?

KS: Just about everything else played second fiddle, except being a mom of course! The movie took over my life, as they often do.