The cast improvised scenes with real-life professionals, all of whom portray themselves responding to an unprecedented situation. Clinicians, psychiatrists, lawyers and a child guardian adviser all have to make decisions exactly as they would in real life, from the initial mix-up at the IVF clinic to the highly-charged court case in which a judge decides how the child will live.
‘As soon as I read the idea for how we were going to film it, I wanted to do this,’ comments Sophie Okonedo, nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar earlier this year for her role in Hotel Rwanda.
‘I love to improvise and I love not knowing what's going to happen, it makes it very alive and raw for me. It was an actor's dream, living in moment-to-moment reality; this was one of the most creative experiences I've ever had.’
‘Our story is fictional but inspired by real-life cases,’ says producer Oliver Morse. ‘No process conducted by fallible human beings can ever be 100% accident-free and what we portray is a situation that could happen here.
The law is already out of date and contains nasty surprises for doctors and all four potential parents. Born with Two Mothers explores how a British court would deal with such a case.’
