Lost and Found: Thirty Years, Not Together
Canadian Jessi’s search for her Romanian birth mother reveals a sister adopted under the same name and a web of lies.
Until 1989, abortion was largely banned in Romania. In the years that followed, around 30,000 children were adopted abroad amid bribery, forged documents and other abuses. Fifteen-year-old Afize gave birth to Ghiulsecen Adim in difficult circumstances. At just two months old, the baby was sold for $1,000 and adopted by a Canadian family, growing up as Jessica Froud.
Raised in a creative environment, Jessi began searching for her birth mother and biological father, hoping to understand her roots and identity. Her journey to Romania would change her life, revealing more than she could ever have imagined.
Over eight years of filming in three countries, first-time director Laurentiu Garofeanu follows Jessi’s search and investigates her painful separation from her younger sister. During production, another adopted woman, Paula, unexpectedly contacts him after coming across the film’s synopsis and recognising her own story. Her account leads him deeper into unregistered births, falsified records and a heartbreaking history.
Edvinas Pukšta
What feelings did the film Lost and Found: Thirty Years, Not Together envoke?
Discuss the film with other viewers and filmmakers
Biography
Romanian-British director and producer. I spent ten years making documentaries for Discovery, Channel 4, National Geographic and the BBC between London and New York, then came home to Bucharest and founded Mekanism Media. Lost and Found: Thirty Years, Not Together is my first feature documentary, with its world premiere in the Doc@PÖFF International Competition 2026. I make character-led films about identity and the people systems forget.
Filmography
Lost and Found - Thirty Years, Not Together (2026, doc)
Screenings
