KINDRED (PC)

The remarkable true story of one aspirational parent’s groundbreaking journey through the adoption process in the United Kingdom. Kindred is an animated VR story, driven by first person narration by Syd—an aspirational parent who navigates the various stages of adoption, experiencing first-hand the highs and lows of a dream shared by so many. Syd is an outsider who has struggled for acceptance in mainstream British society. After deciding to become a parent, Syd navigates the adoption system. The bandwidth of acceptable children is wide; Syd is willing to adopt children from all walks of life. After numerous close calls and more than 150 rejections, one child comes to the fore, a gender questioning child called Ollie. After a “bump in” meeting engineered by the adoption agency, parent and child strike a meaningful connection. The wheels are put in motion. Eventually, Syd and Ollie’s relationship is solidified legally by the courts and the parent-child relationship is created—in one moment they are bonded and in the process redefine the meaning of the family in the United Kingdom forever.