From the Primal Wound to the Paternal Wound

In this episode of Finding Family DNA, filmmaker Rebecca Autumn Sansom joins Jay to share the story behind her acclaimed documentary, Reckoning with the Primal Wound, and the winding path that led her back to both of her birth parents. Rebecca opens up about the years-long process of earning renowned author Nancy Verrier's trust for the film, the emotional risk of reconnecting with her birth father after a chance discovery sent her searching, and the complicated, sometimes fragile nature of reunion relationships. She also shares an early look at her upcoming sequel, Reckoning with the Paternal Wound, and the real-life tension around what to include when someone else's story becomes part of yours. The conversation turns candid as Rebecca and Jay dig into the recent Hulu documentary My Grandfather Charles Manson, weighing what belongs in a documentary and what doesn't. Along the way, Jay shares a moving pro bono case that reveals just how personal the choice to reconnect with a birth parent can be.

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https://youtu.be/fj5oQcp9WxM

00:00 Intro

00:38 Welcoming Rebecca Autumn Sansom

02:06 Why base the film on The Primal Wound

04:25 Reconnecting with her birth mother

06:12 Earning Nancy Verrier's trust

09:14 Her relationship with her birth mother today

11:02 Birth mom vs. "first mother"

15:36 Documentary trailer