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what is the story behind three identical strangers

by Electa Jakubowski Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Three Identical Strangers is a 2018 documentary film directed by Tim Wardle

Tim Wardle

Tim Wardle is a BAFTA-nominated documentary director, and Executive Producer at award-winning production company Raw. As Director, his films include Three Identical Strangers, a feature documentary for CNN Films, Channel 4 and the Sundance Institute following the story of reunited triplets; One Killer Punch, a documentary exploring the far-reaching repercussions of a single ac…

, about the lives of Edward Galland, David Kellman, and Robert Shafran

Robert Shafran

Robert Shafran was born on July 12, 1961 in Long Island, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for Three Identical Strangers, The One Show and The View.

, a set of identical triplet brothers adopted as infants by separate families.

Three Identical Strangers is a story that's almost stranger than fiction – a tale of triplets who managed to find each other after being separated at birth. Edward 'Eddy' Galland, David Kellman, and Robert 'Bobby' Shafran were born on July 12, 1961, and were placed into the hands of Louise Wise Adoption Services.Oct 7, 2020

Full Answer

What happened to the Three Identical Strangers?

The article, “The Surreal, sad story behind the acclaimed new doc ‘Three Identical Strangers,” focuses on the harm done to Bobby Shafran, David Kellman, and Eddy Galland. These were identical triplets but separated during birth; thus, the name “Three Identical Strangers” ( Kaufman, 2018).

What is the best way to experience Three Identical Strangers?

Talking about the gobsmacking new documentary Three Identical Strangers is tricky. The ideal experience would be to see the film absolutely cold, with no knowledge whatsoever about the identical triplets of the title, who didn’t know about each other until they met by happenstance in their late teens.

What did Tim Wardle say about Three Identical Strangers?

Three Identical Strangers filmmaker Tim Wardle said that you didn’t have to be a scientist to figure out why these men had issues. “One of the most shocking these was that these psychiatrists are sitting around saying, ‘Oh, it’s really strange, the children all seem to have these problems.

How old is Michele mordkoff from Three Identical Strangers?

Michele Mordkoff, 54, saw “Three Identical Strangers” last year when it was in theaters. She, too, had been adopted from Louise Wise Services, and she began to wonder if she might have a twin. Mordkoff remembers thinking, “I need to spit in a cup and find out what my history is.”

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What happened to the triplets in Three Identical Strangers?

According to the New York Post, the two are going through a divorce. David lives in New Jersey and works in life insurance and he specialises in annuities and healthcare.

What was different about the Three Identical Strangers?

These differences were displayed through mental health, they all varied on this scale. The film ends by bringing up nature versus nurture again, explaining that while their genes led them to similar things and mannerisms, their families and parents ultimately influenced their attitudes, beliefs, and emotions.

How did Paula and Elyse find the twins?

In 2004, Paula Bernstein received a phone call from an employee of Louise Wise Services, the agency where she had been adopted. The message: She had a twin who was looking for her. The woman told Bernstein her twin's name. "And I thought, I have a twin, and her name is Elyse Schein," Bernstein says.

How did Bobby and Eddie find out about each other?

The film describes how Robert Shafran discovered that he had a twin brother when he arrived on the campus of a New York community college and was greeted by students who incorrectly recognized him as Eddy Galland. The two met and, knowing that they'd been adopted, quickly concluded that they were twins.

What were the different types of families the triplets were adopted by?

There's a suggestion in the film that the triplets were placed in families that were working class, middle class and upper-middle class respectively, with Kellman's being the working-class home, though in fact his father did quite well, he says. His mother was “cold”, he says.

What Three Identical Strangers reveals about nature and nurture?

The vital point that affects the current nature-nurture debate and which is outlined in Three Identical Strangers is the seemingly intense impact of genetic influences on Eddy, Robert and David. When they were reunited, they not only looked like doppelgangers, they displayed an uncanny number of shared habits.

Is 3 identical strangers a true story?

While at first, Netflix's newest documentary offering, Three Identical Strangers (2018) seems like a heartwarming story of family reunion, the true story is cruel.

What are the names of the Three Identical Strangers?

As the film explains, triplets Robert Shafran, Eddy Galland and David Kellman were separated at birth by an adoption agency called Louise Wise Services. They were placed into different homes, and their adoptive families had no clue their sons had been born with siblings.

What happened to the three men in Triplets?

But fractures and fissures began to surface. All three men suffered from mental health issues and in 1995, Galland took his own life after a struggle with depression.

Who were the three triplets separated at birth?

Their faces were splashed across newspapers around the world, and the press couldn’t get enough of Robert Shafran, Edward Galland and David Kellman — triplets who were separated at birth. While at first, Netflix’s newest documentary offering, Three Identical Strangers (2018) ...

What did the brothers say in the documentary?

In the documentary, the brothers recalled having people from the agency film them, asking them to say this and that, ride a bike or paint a picture, under the guise that they were monitoring children who had been adopted out.

When did the triplets discover each other?

In 1980, when the triplets were 19-years-old, a chance encounter and a case of mis-identity, caused the brothers to discover one another.

Who said you didn't have to be a scientist to figure out why these men had issues?

Three Identical Strangers filmmaker Tim Wardle said that you didn’t have to be a scientist to figure out why these men had issues. “One of the most shocking these was that these psychiatrists are sitting around saying, ‘Oh, it’s really strange, the children all seem to have these problems.

Do the three triplets have the same upbringing?

At first, the story of the handsome, smiling triplets was lapped up by the media, despite their different upbringings, the three men were the same . They walked the same, they danced the same, they smoked the same type of cigarettes and each even had an affection for older women.

Who partnered with the agency for the twin study?

Psychologists had partnered with the agency for the “Twin Study” and even Neubauer visited the boys for the first 10 years. The secret research project was never published and it was never known who the “private Washington charities” were that bankrolled it.

What is the story of three identical strangers?

A successful documentary needs a compelling story and Three Identical Strangers tells an emotionally wrenching, “stranger than fiction” tale: identical triplets separated at birth through adoption. They find each other and discover that they look exactly alike and have so much in common!

Why did Peter Neubauer separate identical triplets?

Peter Neubauer separated identical triplets who had been given up for adoption in order to enable him to conduct a study of their development apart. Additional villainy attributed to him is that he did not tell the adoptive parents that the babies were triplets.

What did John C. Kennedy write about?

Until his death in 2008, as a professor at both New York University and Columbia, he spoke out against television violence and wrote about the difficulties of single-parent families and children reared in collectives.

How much did Three Identical Strangers make?

Box office. $12.3 million. Three Identical Strangers is a 2018 documentary film directed by Tim Wardle, about the lives of Edward Galland, David Kellman, and Robert Shafran, a set of identical triplets adopted as infants by separate families.

What is the rating of Three Identical Strangers?

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 97% based on 168 reviews, with an average rating of 8.25/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Surreal and surprising, Three Identical Strangers effectively questions the nature of reality and identity." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 81 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

Who was the first person to study the Neubauer twin experiment?

The Neubauer twin experiment was first publicized in a 1995 New Yorker article by investigative journalist Lawrence Wright, who appears in the film. The same, never-published twin study was the subject of the 2007 memoir Identical Strangers written by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein (who also appear in the film) and the subject of the 2017 documentary The Twinning Reaction, followed by the 2018 television episode Secret Siblings. The studios Raw TV, Film4 Productions, and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment are jointly developing a dramatic feature version of Three Identical Strangers, with the documentary's director Tim Wardle as an executive producer.

Who were the two psychiatrists who studied the Jewish brothers?

The brothers had been involved as children in a study by psychiatrists Peter B. Neubauer and Viola W. Bernard, under the auspices of the Jewish Board of Guardians, which involved periodic visits and evaluations of the boys, the full intent of which was never explained to the adoptive parents.

Was David Kellman a triplet?

Months later, the publicity of this human-interest story reached David Kellman, whose resemblance and matching adoption circumstances indicated that the three were triplets.

Did Bobby Shafran have a twin brother?

The two met and, knowing that they'd been adopted, quickly concluded that they were twins. Months later, the publicity of this human-interest story reached David Kellman, whose resemblance and matching adoption circumstances indicated that the three were triplets.

What is the story of three identical strangers?

The story told in the documentary Three Identical Strangers is one of those real cases that had its protagonists saying, “I wouldn’t believe it if it hadn’t happened to me.”.

Who is the stranger in the book Eddy?

The stranger was Michael, a friend of this mysterious “Eddy” person whose name he kept hearing since he had arrived that day. Michael had studied with Eddy the previous year, and he knew Eddy wasn’t coming back to college.

How many twins were separated at birth?

The unknown truth. It’s believed that at least four to six other pairs of twins were separated at birth and placed in different homes for the sake of the experiment, so it’s highly likely that there are still people out there who aren’t even aware they have a long lost sibling. ADVERTISEMENT.

How old was David Kellman when he was approached by his friends?

It was a regular day for 19-year-old David Kellman. He was at school, when he was approached by one of his friends, who wanted to show him a copy of the day’s New York Post. There was an article there, about two twins who had been reunited after 19 years.

Who handled the adoptions of the triplets?

According to his research, sets of identical babies had been separated and sent to different homes for the purpose of a scientific experiment, with their adoptions handled by the same agency – Louise Wise Services. Knowing about the triplets’ story, he reached out to Bobby, and told him everything he had found out.

Is the truth known until someone is given full access to the material sitting at Yale?

However, the truth won’t be known until someone is given full access to the material sitting at Yale, and Bobby and David have been working on it ever since they first learned about its existence. Through an attorney, they were able to get their hands on a very small amount of data from that study…

Who are the media darlings?

Bobby, Eddy, and David become media darlings. They became instant celebrities; everyone wanted a piece of the long-lost brothers who couldn’t stop smiling now that they had found each other. They basically went viral before the terminology was even invented. Bobby, Eddy, and David become media darlings.

What is the story of three identical strangers?

CNN —. “Three Identical Strangers” tells an astonishing story , and the saga is even bigger than what’s seen on screen. The CNN Films documentary, directed by Tim Wardle, follows a set of triplets who were intentionally separated and then monitored for a secret scientific study.

Who were the three triplets in the movie?

As the film explains, triplets Robert Shafran, Eddy Galland and David Kellman were separated at birth by an adoption agency called Louise Wise Services. They were placed into different homes, and their adoptive families had no clue their sons had been born with siblings.

What did the brothers talk about in the documentary?

The brothers talk candidly in the documentary about what it was like to be studied, completely unaware that the tests they were being given were not part of a routine child development study.

Why did the triplets go to psychiatric facilities?

The result was, in the case of the triplets, a childhood where each of them beat their heads against their cribs and went into psychiatric facilities because of the trauma of being separated at birth.

How many siblings did Eddy have?

Fast forward, and not only did he and Eddy, his unknown, twin brother attend the same college, and see their story blow up on the news, but they were joined by a third sibling. Three siblings, one in an upper class home, one in a middle class home, and one in a working class home. Each with an older sister of the same age.

Who is the psychologist who investigated the nature vs nurture debate?

As part of an undisclosed study to tackle the "nature vs. nurture" debate, psychologist Peter Neubauer received money from some seemingly high-level, governmental source in order to conduct a secret study whose ultimate focus was on parenting style.

Who placed Bobby, Eddy, and David in homes?

The Louise Wise Adoption Agency , as it turned out, deliberately placed not only Bobby, Eddy, and David in households of varying incomes, they also planted their sisters in those houses, too, as described by the LA Times.

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Overview

Synopsis

The film describes how Robert Shafran discovered that he had a twin brother when he arrived on the campus of a New York community college and was greeted by students who incorrectly recognized him as Eddy Galland. The two met and, knowing that they'd been adopted, quickly concluded that they were twins. Months later, the publicity of this human-interest story reached David Kellman, whose resemblance and matching adoption circumstances indicated that the thr…

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 96% based on 186 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Surreal and surprising, Three Identical Strangers effectively questions the nature of reality and identity." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 81 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

Related works

The Neubauer twin experiment was first publicized in a 1995 New Yorker article by investigative journalist Lawrence Wright, who appears in the film. The same, never-published twin study was the subject of the 2007 memoir Identical Strangers written by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein (who also appear in the film) and the subject of the 2017 documentary The Twinning Reaction, followed by the 2018 television episode Secret Siblings. The studios Raw TV, Film4 Productions, and Sidne…

See also

• 2018 in film
• List of documentary films

External links

• Official website
• Three Identical Strangers at IMDb
• Three Identical Strangers at Metacritic
• Three Identical Strangers at Rotten Tomatoes

1.The surreal, sad story behind the acclaimed new doc …

Url:https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-three-identical-strangers-documentary-20180702-story.html

12 hours ago  · While at first, Netflix’s newest documentary offering, Three Identical Strangers (2018) seems like a heartwarming story of family reunion, the true story is cruel. Shafran, Galland and Kellman were separated at birth and placed in different families — one blue-collar, one middle-class and the third, the home of an affluent doctor.

2.Videos of What Is The Story Behind Three Identical Strangers

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28 hours ago  · The film claims that Dr. Peter Neubauer separated identical triplets who had been given up for adoption in order to enable him to conduct a study of their development apart.

3.The Cruel True Story Behind Netflix’s ‘Three Identical …

Url:https://thelatch.com.au/three-identical-strangers/

35 hours ago  · The story told in the documentary Three Identical Strangers is one of those real cases that had its protagonists saying, “I wouldn’t believe it if it hadn’t happened to me.” It starts as a heartwarming tale and develops into an almost unbelievable feel-good story, before taking a dark turn that leads us down a path of surrealism and tragedy.

4.The Truth About "Three Identical Strangers" | Psychology …

Url:https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychoanalysis-unplugged/201902/the-truth-about-three-identical-strangers

1 hours ago The article, “The Surreal, sad story behind the acclaimed new doc ‘Three Identical Strangers,” focuses on the harm done to Bobby Shafran, David Kellman, and Eddy Galland. These were identical triplets but separated during birth; thus, the name “Three Identical Strangers”(Kaufman, 2018). Separation of the triplets makes them suffer psychologically, a statement that is seen …

5.Three Identical Strangers - Wikipedia

Url:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Identical_Strangers

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