Anaïs Bordier and Samantha Futerman were complete strangers on February 22nd, 2013. Bordier was a fashion student from Paris studying in London, and Futerman was an aspiring actress in Los Angeles. On February 23rd, however, everything changed.

In what can only be described as a real life Parent Trap situation, Twinsters tells the incredible true story of identical twins who were separated at birth, only to discover each other through social media 25 years later.

It was Anaïs who watched a YouTube video starring Samantha, and couldn’t help but notice the striking similarities between each other. Growing up in France as an only child, Anaïs was rightfully confused, but curious. She contacted Samantha on Facebook, not knowing where it would go, or what it even meant.

She contacted Samantha on Facebook, not knowing where it would go, or what it even meant.

 

Soon the girls realized that they had more in common than facial features. They were both adopted out of South Korea as babies, and they shared the same birthday, but were never aware of being a twin. Both of their adoption records made no mention of a sister, but in their hearts they knew something was missing. The girls took it upon themselves to get an official DNA test to prove the validity of their assumptions, and were elated to find out the results.

A heartwarming and emotionally moving film about love and family, Twinsters takes the audience on an incredible journey. We see first hand the impact of nature vs nurture, and the power of the internet. From the first sighting on YouTube, to the initial messages on Facebook, we see their relationship evolve quickly. Awkward first Skype sessions turn into inside jokes and witty banter in texts. The girls even make a point to visit each other in their respective countries, bringing along their friends and family who also couldn’t believe the situation they found themselves in.

Twinsters has an honest intimate feel, as if we are reading their diary. Samantha took to making this film as a creative outlet, most likely as a way to process this major life event. Not only is her directorial debut a success– winning a Jury Award at the SXSW Film Festival earlier this year– her approach to making this film and its ultimate execution is very inspiring for future documentary filmmakers. So if you’re in the mood for an uplifting family story, definitely check out Twinsters.

Twinsters opens in Los Angeles at the ArcLight Hollywood this Friday.