A kaleidoscopic voyage behind the closed doors of the Chinese birth tourism industry in the U.S. Tracing the underground supply chain from Beijing and Shanghai to Los Angeles, the film weaves together vignettes and multiple storylines. In bedrooms, delivery rooms, and family meetings, the story of a hidden global economy emerges—depicting the fortunes and tragedies that befall the ordinary people caught in the web of its influence.

About The Team

Leslie Tai is a Chinese-American filmmaker from San Francisco whose work chronicles the dreams, anxieties, and consumer desire of China’s rising middle class, from a distinctly female perspective. Her award-winning shorts have premiered at Tribeca, MoMA, IDFA, Visions du Réel and The New York Times. Leslie spent five years making films in the underground documentary film movement in China. She is a Fulbright Scholar and holds an MFA in Documentary Film from Stanford University. HOW TO HAVE AN AMERICAN BABY is Tai’s feature debut.