In a surrogacy a couple who can’t carry a baby employs a woman with a healthy uterus. Ideally the egg of the mother is being fertilized with the sperm of the father and this embryo is being transferred into the surrogate mother’s womb. So the surrogate mother is not the genetic mother of the child.

The film “Ma Na Sapna – A Mother’s Dream” by Valerie Gudenus is a documentary about six Indian surrogate mothers through the various stages of surrogacy. It shows the hopes and fears of expectant surrogate mothers and shows the situations in the hospital and the relations with the contracting pairs.

Half of the clients are of Indian nationality, the other half come from abroad. There are around 70 surrogate mothers living together in the so-called “surrogate house“. The women get between 5,000 and 7,000 US Dollars, depending on if there are twins or not. Also they get a monthly salary, food and medication and they can visit courses like stitching, sowing, reading and writing, english, cosmetics and a computer course. Their husbands and children can visit them once a week.

There are many critical voices, blaming these clinics for exploitation, criticizing the state for missing legal regulations and for failing to protect surrogate mothers. But there are enough Indian women in financial need to want to become surrogate mothers.

A Q&A with the director Valerie Gudenus:

Official Website: Ma Na Sapna – A Mother’s Dream