The interestingly titled film Future Baby has a description that explores the future of baby making, which survey inspires a few snickers.

But what surprises about Future Baby is that the baby making of the future is cold, clinical, detached, and not very clear. So while the the film does include some shots of babies, Maria Arlamovsky’s documentary is actually very much about the future of today.

It is earth shattering to consider that the first IVF or test tube baby is a recent concept, only emerging in 1978. And while the film explores a whole host of ethical issues, like many films playing at Hot Docs, Future Baby is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg in terms of screening, genetics, and perhaps ultimately, the decision as to whether or not create a “designer baby”, (thoughts of epigenetics, epidemiology, and even the antiquated concept of eugenics are all at play).

This film is not for the squeamish. The close of the film shows that while making a baby is futuristic, birthing a baby is not.

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