Rolling the dice for a family.
Some think an in vitro fertilization contest sounds crazy, but countless Americans desperate to have a family believe this social media experiment is their only hope.
Vegas Baby gives a voice to infertility and unveils the class disparity within a topic that is often clouded by judgment and stereotypes. Oscar-nominated director Amanda Micheli’s provocative and suspenseful documentary follows several aspiring parents who desperately want to have a baby but are struggling with infertility and the high cost of treatments. They place themselves in the hands of Las Vegas doctor Geoffrey Sher and his annual contest, which offers a prize of a free round of in-vitro fertilization—with no guarantee of pregnancy. Contestants post video entries online telling their stories, counting on the votes of strangers to make their dreams of becoming parents true. IVF can be cripplingly expensive and is rarely covered by insurance. So while exposing private pain online to win a contest is a brutal proposition, many infertile couples see this contest as a gamble worth taking. Through Sher’s controversial contest, Micheli navigates the complexities of America’s burgeoning fertility industry and paints an intimate portrait of the many resilient individuals – from a devoutly Catholic Latino couple in Texas to a lesbian Lady Gaga Impersonator in New York – determined to have a baby against all odds.