Watching The F-word web series was seriously helpful in getting to thinking about what you can do with a 10 minute documentary. It is a story about a specific couple with a specific goal from which they are starting at a certain socio-cultural position. It is engaging because of this and because the motivation and passion to love a child are so palpable. The obstacle here though seems to emphasize the difficulty in the waiting to foster. Wanting a child so badly and knowing there are so many children that need a loving home makes it hard to wait.
I really liked the explanations used to identify certain terms like concurrent planning, home study, disclosure meeting, etc. This was helpful to include because otherwise there would be confusion on my part for the duration of the video. Of course I can google what I don’t know, but the time it takes to do that takes away from my current investment in the episode. Actually, it’s as if I am tranced. I am too engaged to find out what is going to happen next that I don’t even think about pausing to do a google search. Instead, I am hopeful that the film will anticipate my illiteracy in fostering and will address these questions for me. If these confusions were not addressed, I know I would have kept watching until the end and if I was still confused, I’d google it then. How amazing though, the power a film has to be so engaging that even with the ability now to pause, we almost subconsciously choose not to because of how visually and emotionally invested we are. The expectation of a film for our confusions to be resolved is incredible. Not to mention how endearing this couple is for their persistence in wanting to love something so badly. Admirable, to say the VERY least.