In the Name of Love

Modern day mail-order brides
by
Shannon O'Rourke
2004
58 mins

What's motivating the thousands of Russian women who sign up with agencies to meet and marry American men?

A fine work of documentary filmmaking that tackles a disturbing subject with humor, pathos, and irony...
Lisbeth L. Tarlow
Ph.D., Associate Director, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University

Synopsis

What's motivating the thousands of Russian women who sign up with agencies to meet and marry American men? From the gray skies of St. Petersburg to sunny California ranches, we see the financial and emotional pros and cons of exporting one's heart. The film grapples with the tremendous economic challenges and difficult decisions facing Russian women today. In the Name of Love is perfect for courses in Women's Studies, Russian Studies, Sociology, Psychology and Family Studies.

Reviews
A balanced and insightful work - an engaging alternate view of modern family formation that will greatly enliven classroom discussion.
Saskia Subramanian
Ph.D., Sociologist UCLA Center for the Study of Women
The Russian women become people before our eyes; their plight, both romantic and economic, rationalizes the impetus to make marriages with strange American men, but does not minimize the enormous effort required to leave the world they know for an alien one. MARVELOUS, CHILLING IF POIGNANT tensions raised in the film about women, men, marriage, children and cultural dissonances. ABSORBING, DISTURBING and TENDER - all at once.
Gina Luria Walker
Chair, Department of Social Sciences, The New School
...an eye opening dissection of the highs and lows of modern love
Dallas Morning News
Dallas Morning News
... absorbing, sensitive and honest...
The Portland Mercury
The Portland Mercury
... a telling look - I'd love to see a sequel on these couples in five years...
Wendy Mitchell
indieWIRE
... an amazing job in bringing the 'mail-order bride' genre to the screen...
Sydney Pollack
Director

Awards and Screenings
Discovery Times Channel National Broadcast, 2008
CINE Golden Eagle Award, 2004
Best Documentary, Portland Women's Film Festival, 2004
Best Documentary, Temecula Film Festival, 2004
Silverdocs AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Film Festival, 2003
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, 2002
Silver Lake Film Festival, 2004
Malibu Film Festival, 2004
St. John's Women's Festival, 2004
Portland Women's Festival, 2004
Chicago IndieFest, 2004
Deep Ellum Film Festival, 2004
Temecula Film Festival, 2004
New Orleans Media Experience, 2004
Berkeley Film & Video Festival, 2004

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