Love Chaos Kin: An Intimate and Fiercely Honest Take on Adoption, Identity, and Class

It seems that conversations around child adoption will always circle back to an unending dilemma. Adoption isn’t simply about providing a home; it also comes with emotional, social, and cultural dynamics far more complex than many might expect—affecting not only the child, but every member of the family.

Director Chithra Jeyaram delves into these complexities in her latest documentary, Love Chaos Kin, screened at JAFF20 as part of the Asian Perspectives Features program. The film follows an Indian immigrant couple in the United States, Lakshmi and Narayanan, who adopt twins with White birth mother and estranged Native American father, whose cultural background differs significantly from their own. Chithra pays close attention to the challenges faced by both adoptive and biological parents—grappling with identity, race, and the emotional bonds formed across those lines. Across its 98 minutes, the film gradually and tenderly immerses viewers in these intertwined layers.

During the post-screening Q&A on Day 3 of the festival, Chithra shared how she first met Lakshmi’s family. What began with her own curiosity about adoption led her to Lakshmi’s personal blog, which prompted her to reach out and request permission to film the family’s daily life for just three days. That brief plan unexpectedly grew into a six-year documentation process. Chithra admitted she never imagined the project would become a full documentary. At first, she only wanted to understand the adoption process more intimately.

“The first time I visited Lakshmi’s home, they were still a bit shy about being filmed. But just a few hours later, they were already comfortable with my camera,” Chithra recalled. Drawing from the family’s personal archive and years of footage, Love Chaos Kin finally took shape and delivered a film that feels both honest and deeply resonant.

Many audience members at the Q&A admitted to being moved by the film. Some even found themselves emotionally connected to their own childhood experiences of being raised by more than one set of parents. Love Chaos Kin invites viewers to sit with the inner conflicts that emerge from cross-cultural adoption, and reflects on the roles—both adoptive and biological—parents play in a child’s ongoing journey toward understanding who they are.