How to Have an American Baby

How to Have an American Baby

USA / 2023 / 114 /

How to Havean American Babyis a kaleidoscopic voyage into the booming shadoweconomy that caters to Chinese tourists who travel to the U.S. on “birthing vacations”—in order to obtain U.S. citizenship for their babies. Tracing the underground birth tourismindustryfrom Beijing to Los Angeles, the film weaves together vignettes and deeplyprivate moments. Inside bedrooms, delivery rooms, and family meetings, the story of ahidden global economy emerges—depicting the aspirations and anxieties, fortunes andtragedies that befall the ordinary people caught in the web of its influence.

  • “How to Have an American Baby is a virtual one-woman production, which may explain the extraordinary intimacy achieved by producer, writer, cinematographer, director and editor Leslie Tai”

    — The Wall Street Journal

  • “How to Have an American Baby is a remarkable and mature work that not only documents a relatively unknown phenomenon and is a testimony to Chinese socioeconomic microcosm in a constant flux, but also a moving and thought provoking snapshot of women in Chinese society."

    — Asian Movie Pulse

  • “Tai [insists] on the humanity of the women involved”

    — LA Times

  • "Sprawling in scope, observational in form and jaw-dropping in access" -

    — Filmmaker Magazine
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