Baby God

Baby God
Official poster
Directed byHannah Olson
Produced byHannah Olson
CinematographyJustin Zweifach
Edited byToby Shimin
Music byWill Epstein
Production
companies
Distributed byHBO
Release dates
  • June 23, 2020 (2020-06-23) (Nantucket)
  • December 2, 2020 (2020-12-02) (United States)
Running time
78 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Baby God is a 2020 American documentary film, directed and produced by Hannah Olson, which follows Quincy Fortier, a doctor who used his own sperm to inseminate fertility patients. Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady were executive producers under their Loki Films banner.

It had its world premiere at the Nantucket Film Festival on June 23, 2020, and was released on December 2, 2020, by HBO.

Synopsis

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Quincy Fortier, in a fertility fraud scheme begun in the 1960s, for more than 30 years secretly used his own sperm to inseminate his fertility patients, without their knowledge or consent. Decades later, his biological children discover Fortier is their father and search for answers.[1]

Production

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Olson discovered the story after hearing about a doctor using his own sperm to inseminate his fertility patients, and brought it to Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady who agreed to produce the film, and brought it to HBO Documentary Films who agreed to produce and distribute.[2] Olson felt the story was relevant in the context of Me Too movement and felt it was time to reframe the US fertility industry to a public health concern.[3]

Release

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The film was set to have its world premiere at South by Southwest in March 2020, however, the festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4][5] The film had its world premiere at the Nantucket Film Festival on June 23, 2020.[6][7] It also screened at DOC NYC on November 11, 2020.[8][9] It was released on December 2, 2020.[10]

Reception

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Critical reception

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Baby God holds a 79% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 14 reviews, with an average of 7.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Baby God is unavoidably nauseating as it unearths a heinous legacy, but Hannah Olson's sensitive study of the victims gives this documentary a worthwhile poignancy."[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Horton, Adrian (2 December 2020). "Baby God: how DNA testing uncovered a shocking web of fertility fraud". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  2. ^ Corrall, Cody (December 2, 2020). "Hannah Olson Discusses Family, History, Consent, and Her Directorial Debut "Baby God"". Women and Hollywood. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  3. ^ Hay, Carla (December 2, 2020). "Hannah Olson Discusses Family, History, Consent, and Her Directorial Debut "Baby God"". Shondaland.com. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  4. ^ "Baby God". South by Southwest. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  5. ^ "City of Austin Cancels SXSW March Events". South by Southwest. March 6, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  6. ^ "Baby God". Nantucket Film Festival. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  7. ^ Staff, LATF (June 8, 2020). "Here Is 2020 Nantucket Film Festival Film Lineup". Latfusa.com. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  8. ^ "Baby God". DOC NYC. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  9. ^ Wissot, Lauren (November 11, 2020). "Five WTF Must-Sees at the 2020 DOC NYC Festival". Filmmaker. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  10. ^ "HBO's "Baby God" Debuts December 2". The Futon Critic. November 12, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  11. ^ "Baby God (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
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