To Russia with love

Emma is a local documentary about a young woman’s search for her birth family in Russia.

Emma Barrett (right) is a former Russian orphan living in New Zealand whose search for her birth family is the focus of a new documentary.

Simply titled Emma, it looks at the challenges she faced trying to track down blood relatives.

Barrett, 27, was born in a rundown apartment block in a small Russian town. Although it wasn’t diagnosed at the time, she had fetal alcohol syndrome.

When Barrett was just two weeks old she was taken to an orphanage, where she lived before being adopted by a New Zealand couple.

At age three, she moved to New Zealand with her adoptive parents. But the reality of raising a Russian orphan was much harder than the dream. Barrett was placed into foster care before returning to live with her adoptive father, Terry Barrett.

Emma Barrett grew up in Auckland knowing she was adopted. From the age of 12 she wanted to find her birth family but her information was limited.

“I just knew I had a sister,” says Barrett. “I didn’t know if my mum was alive or my dad was alive.”

Three years ago Barrett began the arduous task of searching for her birth family with the help of the Stuff Circuit investigative team, fronted by reporter Paula Penfold.

Barrett, an office administrator for Stuff, works in the same building as the documentary team. (Stuff is the media company which publishes the TV Guide.)

The team faced delays in making the documentary, including a long wait for Barrett’s Russian passport to arrive.

The Stuff Circuit team managed to track down Barrett’s sister and this year it took Barrett to Russia so the siblings could meet in person.

“She’s two years older and she was in the same orphanage as me,” says Barrett of her sister. “When I was adopted we were split up. She still remembers me from that time but I don’t remember her.”

In Russia, the sisters had an emotional reunion. But things were complicated when it came to other family members.

“Emma has overcome more in her life than one person should ever have to bear,” says Penfold. “But she has enormous resilience and determination.

“It was an eye-opener to see where Emma came from and witness what she’s been able to achieve in her life despite everything.

“We’re extremely proud of the documentary. We’ve never had the opportunity to do anything like this.” Available on stuff.co.nz/emma or on the PlayStuff app.