Hello my name is Lucy Sheen. I am an actor/writer and now a film director, writer and producer. 

I am also one of one hundred Hong Kong babies that were adopted during the late 50s and early 60s to mainly English families on the UK. The first organised group of trans-racially adopted children.

 

In 2010/2011 I became one of the participants in a research study aiming to look into the lives of as many of those original one hundred Hong Kong adoptees. How had their lives unfolded? It was in 2010 that I first met about a dozen other Hong Kong adoptees at the first UK HK Adoptee reunion. 

 

I had always known in the back of my mind that there must have been other children like me but it had never occurred to me to seek them out.

 

Being an adoptee, being trans-racially adopted, culturally displaced and dislocated has made me the person that I am. It colours my work and how I work in ways that I cannot begin to effectively articulate. It prefaces and to a certain degree predefines how people from my own ethnic community relate and interact with me especially those who have retained the ability to speak Chinese or who are bilingual. I find myself existing in a no man's land neither British nor Chinese. This documentary will take a peak into what it means to be culturally displaced to have lost one's emotional, historical and cultural identity.

 

Adoption is an emotive topic at the best of times but you couple that to dislocating, disassociating and displacing a child from their heritage, history and birth right in the late 50s early 60s what happens to that child, that teenager - the adult.

 

The British-Chinese in my professional and personal experience at best are ignored at worst remain the butt of everyone's jokes. Apart from the clichéd coverage of Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festivals, Martial Arts, Lanterns and Chinese food the British-Chinese are not really taken into consideration. Until we figure on the mainstream cultural landscape of Britain in the same manner as the Black and South Asian communities do I believe we will always be subject to prejudice, racism and ignorant intolerant behaviors.

 

I want to introduce a different viewpoint. I want to take this opportunity to let people walk that mile in someone else's shoes.

 

 

Who can support this campaign ANYONE.

If you are passionate supporter of equal rites

If you oppose any form of discrimination and prejudice whether that be class, colour, creed, religion, sexual orientation, or gender orientation

If you are passionate about effecting change, real change, social, cultural and human

If everyone pledged just one pound this project would be able to support one newbie film person

If everyone pledged just two pounds we would be able to support two newbies film personnel

 

By supporting the arts and diverse independent projects such as this you give a voice to many who have remained silent. You help add to the richness and complexities of a changing society for the better.

You are instrumental in assisting in ensuring that the creative industry continues to grow by making opportunities available for new writers, directors, and camera people

You help to de-mystify and deconstruct ignorant and incorrect perceptions of people and communities

 

 

What We Need & What You Get

Ideally we need to raise $17,133.96 (11K). WOW that's a lot of money. Yes it is in the current depressed economic times. However in relative terms within the industry it's peanuts!

We're not being greedy 10K will allow us to cover the expenses of one (possibly two) camera people, and a sound person. It also means we can go to Hong Kong and film for a five days. The street where I was abandoned, the land where the orphanage used to be, maybe I can even attempt to apply for my Hong Kong Identity card

 

The Break down

Basic Expenses for three-crew member for the London shoot £2,000 ($3,115.26)

Basic Expenses for small crew to fly and shoot in Hong Kong for five days £3,000 ($4,672.90)

Film Stock £500 ($778.82)

Audio Service & Post Production £1,000

Project Admin £500 ($778.82)

PR, Publicity, Launch, Festival Entry Fees, £3,000 ($4,672.90)

Funding/charges/money transfer/exchange rate fees £1000 ($1,557.63)

 

What do you get if you pledge? 

Pledge £1-£5:00 your name will be placed on our website on a specific roll call of sponsors page.

 

Pledge £10 -20 your name a web link, or logo will be placed on our website on a specific roll call page for bronze sponsors. The first 5 Bronze sponsors who's donation is received will be given an on screen credit in the format of title, first and then last name

 

 

Pledge £30 - £50 your name a web link, or logo will be placed on our website on a specific roll call page for Silver sponsors plus your name will be entered into a prize draw for two tickets to the premier of the completed film

 

Pledge £60 - £100 your name a web link, or logo will be placed on our website on a specific roll call page for Gold sponsors plus your name will be entered into a prize draw for two tickets to the premier of the completed film

 

Pledge £100+ your name a web link, or logo will be placed on our website on a specific roll call page for Platinum sponsors plus two tickets to the film premier and an onscreen credit. Also first option on pledging the equivalent (or more) on our next film project, which will be a drama, and to be offered a minor one scene non-speaking role in the next production - subject to specific terms and conditions

 

Pledge £1000 or more your name a web link, or logo will be placed on our website on a specific roll call page for White Gold sponsors plus two tickets to the film premier and an onscreen credit. Also first option on pledging the equivalent (or more) on our next film project, which will be a drama, and to be offered a minor one scene non-speaking role in the next production - subject to specific terms and conditions

 

Full terms and conditions apply to all pledge perks. These can be found on the website http://forgottenadoptee.posterous.com

 

You can of course donate any amount as long as it no less than £1.

 

What happens if we don't reach our target?

:( Depending upon what level of finance we raise will determine how this documentary film will be made. No matter how committed my small fledging crew and I are about getting this film made it always comes down to money.

 

Worse case scenario we will do the best we can with what we have raised. If we raise less than £500 then we definitely won't be filming in Hong Kong, or be able to invest in buying stock footage of modern day Hong Kong. The documentary will be revised and UK centric. The crew and myself will all work for nothing and enter as many free film festivals (not many) as possible.

But we will still forge ahead with the film. 

 

If we raise £500 - £1000

Again the Hong Kong angle will have to be sacrificed. However we can afford to at least pay expenses for one crewmember or partial expenses for two crewmembers and will have some budget left for stock footage, hiring a room for interviews on camera, or traveling outside of London to film and interview as well as small amount for audio/post production services if needed.

 

If we raise £2000 - £7000

Then we can afford a full crew of three

We will have a budget to film interviews and participants outside Greater London (if required) or provide a pleasant place to be filmed in London and possibly reimburse those participants who's financial need is greater on travel expenses.

 

If we raise £10000

Apart from being over the moon and probably shell shocked and immensely grateful for twenty-four hours we will be able to make the documentary film that I envisaged no holes barred. It will have the depth, the breadth, the insight and the high production values required to give this production the best chance of being picked up by a distributor

 

If you pledge it doesn't matter whether it's just £1 or £1000 you will be thanked on our website.

The more you pledge the more likely you will see your name on the web or even on screen.

 

Whatever happens the documentary will be made. The more money we raise the better the film we can create.