Before Us, 81 mins, 2023

Written, Directed, Shot & Edited by: Hedia Maron
Produced by: Stephanie Markowitz
Composer: Joseph Shabason
Consulting Editor: Isabel Freeman

As a direct result of the “free love” era, 1970 was the peak year for adoption in the United States. Filmmaker Hedia Maron delves into her hippie mother’s enigmatic past, unearthing a hidden family legacy of lost siblings.

At 19 years old, Linda Goldfine left her family’s home one morning, went to her job at Filene’s Basement in downtown Boston, and then disappeared for the next three years. Forty years later, her daughter Hedia pushes her to disclose what happened during those lost years living on California communes. Linda reveals a complex family history set against the backdrop of a time when notions of “free love” collided with virtually no reproductive rights for women, creating the largest generation of adoptees ever in American history.

Through present-day footage of California, family footage from the 1990s, and archival clips, Before Us shows us that you can run away from home but you can never truly escape your family.

Upcoming Screenings 

https://hotdocs.ca/whats-on/films/before-us

Reviews

https://filmthreat.com/reviews/before-us/

https://jweekly.com/2023/06/02/at-sf-docfest-secrets-from-a-jewish-mothers-hippie-past/