Fertility expert’s secret children
Adoctor uses his sperm to inseminate his patients without their consent and goes on to father 94 children and counting.
This may sound more like the plot of an R-rated thriller movie, only it’s real life.
A Netflix documentary, Our Father, tells the story of how an American fertility doctor, Donald Cline, inseminated his patients with his own sperm instead of their husbands’ or sperm donors’.
Cline is now 85-years-old. The documentary sheds light on the scandal from the perspective of the siblings and follows their journey as they uncover the shocking details surrounding their conception.
Director Lucie Jourdan perfectly illustrates a story that many would not believe if there was no DNA evidence to support the case.
Watching the tally of siblings going up inbetween segments as more and more of them are discovered, adds to the suspense.
The story is also told from the perspective of the unsuspecting mothers who went to Cline with the hopes of finding a solution to their fertility issues.
The absence of legal laws to support the siblings makes their plight even more painful.
The siblings and mothers share the pain, confusion and anger they experience.
There’s no denying that what Cline did was morally and ethically wrong, but due to the lack of legal standing, technically, he committed no crime.
Former colleagues interviewed describe him as a good man with good Christian values, who teaches Sunday school with his wife.
However, Cline’s responses leave a bitter taste as he quotes Bible verses in an attempt to justify his actions.
The documentary briefly highlights the Quiverfull cult, a Christian theological belief that sees large families as a blessing from God.
Cline is believed to belong to this cult, further proving that he knew exactly what he was doing at the time.
Jacoba Ballard, who was the first to discover her DNA was linked to seven other people, remained at the forefront of the fight against Cline, and the legal system of Indiana recounts many of the conversations she had with him.
The siblings also share their experience of meeting Cline in person to confront him.
Cline never admits culpability and even goes as far as lying under oath (and being arrested for contempt).
Other similar cases have also come to light about fertility doctors being caught for using their own sperm for artificial insemination.
A documentary is a compelling format to present this story as the reenactment portions enable viewers to feel the horror the siblings experienced throughout the course of discovering who the sperm donor was.
It communicates legitimacy in a case where this was breached by a medical professional, and so viewers are also lead to believe through the documentary format that the story they are watching is a factually reliable narrative.