Crossing an Ocean to Freeze Their Eggs | Arrow Factory
Director: Guo Rongfei—Arrow Factory
In 2015, after actress Xu Jinglei revealed on Weibo that she had had her eggs frozen in the U.S., giving rise to heated debate in the media, the fertility procedure entered into China’s public consciousness. Although the service has been available in China for a decade, it is currently available only to married women. A recent lawsuit against a hospital for refusing to freeze the eggs of an unmarried patient could potentially change that, but until then, single women who want to undergo the procedure must travel abroad for it. Fees range from $11,000 and $16,000, excluding annual storage costs of between $450 and $600. But the lofty pricetag is deemed worthy in the eyes of many affluent, educated women because the procedure buys them a rare chance to postpone marriage and pregnancy without sacrificing their career and affords them more time to find a suitable partner. Arrow Factory’s 30-minute documentary details the lives of Guo Lei and A Bu as they begin their egg freezing process that eventually leads them to a fertility clinic across the Pacific.
Caption information
In 2015, after actress Xu Jinglei revealed on Weibo that she had had her eggs frozen in the U.S., giving rise to heated debate in the media, the fertility procedure entered into China’s public consciousness. Although the service has been available in China for a decade, it is currently available only to married women. A recent lawsuit against a hospital for refusing to freeze the eggs of an unmarried patient could potentially change that, but until then, single women who want to undergo the procedure must travel abroad for it. Fees range from $11,000 and $16,000, excluding annual storage costs of between $450 and $600. But the lofty pricetag is deemed worthy in the eyes of many affluent, educated women because the procedure buys them a rare chance to postpone marriage and pregnancy without sacrificing their career and affords them more time to find a suitable partner. Arrow Factory’s 30-minute documentary details the lives of Guo Lei and A Bu as they begin their egg freezing process that eventually leads them to a fertility clinic across the Pacific.