Donor Unknown review (DVD) ★★★★

The best documentaries are the ones which ask the best questions, and in the case of Donor Unknown it’s a cracker. What would happen if all the children that had been fathered by one single sperm donor were to meet, and then meet the actual donor himself? The answers come from following JoEllen Marsh, a 20-year-old who grew up with two mothers in Pennsylvania, knew that her family was “different”, and had always harboured a desire to know who her real father was. After she finds an online registry that connects children conceived by donors she makes contact with her half-sister living in New York, and their meeting prompts a human interest story from The New York Times. Following the story, it emerges that there are 12 more half-siblings across the US. All any of them know about their Father is his donor number: 150.

But 150 is more than a number, he’s 52-year-old Jeffrey Harrison, an ex-male model who donated his seed for extra income in the '80s and is now living in a run-down Winnebago on Venice Beach with his dogs and a pigeon for company. He’s a real-life Jeff Liebowski, a dude with a good heart and no desire to be anything more than a beach bum. After seeing the Times article Harrison comes forward and identifies himself to JoEllen, and this stellar documentary follows her joining up with Fletcher, her 19-year-old brother, as they travel to California and prepare to meet their father.

What follows is a sweet, funny and very moving portrayal of perhaps the ultimate extended family, and what it means to have biological connections to people who are complete strangers. Not all the children are interested, but for JoEllen there’s a real desire to discover her father and in turn discover more about herself. It’s also an extremely sad film, particularly in the scenes that focus on Jeffrey. He describes himself as a “fringe monkey” and his background story photos and footage of a young man full of life and ambition, waiting tables in Hollywood and posing for Playgirl while waiting for the acting gigs that never came, and eventually turning to donation as a way to survive. Now in his 50s, he’s a very different person – very insular, and you feel that meeting his children could open up a new focus on his life.

Balancing out this very modern human story is the Californian Cryogenic Centre, a bank that claims to have the largest collection of frozen sperm in the world; over 200 billion, an entire civilisation kept on ice and ready to go. The centre also claims to have an extensive screening process, both physical and mental for their donors, but as Jeffrey’s story shows, pretty much anyone in good health can make themselves eligible; his degree in philosophy and views on life made him an attractive and popular donor then, but his position in life now is perhaps less desirable.

Just as anyone can become a father by natural means, it would appear anyone can do it by donation. And it’s here that the film questions the moral integrity of the operation, parental responsibility and the hazards of genetic anonymity. It’s revealed that despite the claims of the clinics there are no limits on the number of donations a man can provide, and in theory there could be hundreds of children in existence with the same father. Donor Unknown offers two viewpoints. With JoEllen and Jeffrey there’s an emotional attachment that offers a heart-warming conclusion and the positive side of the operation. With another of the siblings, Rachelle, constantly questioning those around her and in fear of starting new relationships, there’s a cold, clinical view to life. Regardless of if it begins in a test tube or through an act of intimacy and love, the outcome is the same. Or is it?

Ultimately, Donor Unknown is about a quest for identity, from whatever standing, and in this respect it works brilliantly, leaving several questions that can only be answered personally. This is a documentary very much worth your attention.