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Is it a crime to save 8000 children? Who is Margaret Cole? Farm Girl, Saint or Sinner?

Synopsis

Following the tragic death of her six-week old daughter from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), Ohio farm girl Margaret Cole sought to adopt a baby and found herself caught in a web of bureaucratic obstacles that have prevented so many other hopeful parents from adopting a child. Propelled by her desire to give her daughter a legacy, as well as her belief that adoption should be accessible to all loving families, Margaret founded European Adoption Consultants in 1991. Throughout 27 years of operation, Margaret united delighted parents with over 8000 children, many coming from across the world to their new homes in America.

In 2017, the saintly persona of Margaret Cole and the life-changing work of European Adoption Consultants was sullied by a slew of indictments brought forward by the FBI. Having identified Margaret and her colleagues as “agents of domestic concern”, the FBI conducted an investigation that revealed shocking patterns of corruption, bribery and child trafficking, in particular related to the agency’s adoption activities in Poland and Uganda, accusations that Margaret vehemently denies.

As Margaret prepares to stand trial and defend her reputation, many of the client families, whose lives her work has so enriched, stand by her side. But as we follow Margaret’s trial and hear from all those connected with the case, will it become clear that the joy of so many has come at an incredibly high price?

Could Margaret have been caught in the crosshairs of the “anti-American and anti-family policy”? Is she a scapegoat for the fraught geopolitical relations that have made international adoption so difficult, directly related to the Office of Children’s Issues campaign against international adoption?
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Yaniv Rokah – Director/Producer
Yaniv is an award-winning director, producer and actor originally from Israel. Yaniv started off as an actor in New York. He appeared on shows like NCIS, The Beast, Jon Avnet’s web-series Kendra, USA Network show Dig, and Marc Forster’s 2013 summer blockbuster World War Z.

Yaniv made his directorial debut with the critically acclaimed documentary film Queen Mimi, which tells the story of one woman’s journey through homelessness. The film won many awards around the world and granted a worldwide distribution deal with Netflix. Yaniv directed the TV pilot Generation Clash which will soon be available for streaming online and several international commercials. He also produced The Iris Prize winner film of 2019 Black Hat.

Contact

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