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Deep Dive: Three Identical Strangers (2018)

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Three Identical Strangers
Three Identical Strangers is a documentary directed by Tim Wardle that tells the story of identical triplet brothers Edward Galland, David Kellman, and Robert Shafran, who were adopted as infants by different families. The film uses archival footage, re-enactments, and interviews to recount how the brothers found each other by chance in New York in 1980 at the age of 19. Their reunion led to a media sensation as they discovered their similarities and shared experiences, including their tastes and childhood behaviors. The documentary reveals that their adoption was part of a secret scientific study on nature versus nurture, conducted by psychiatrists Peter B. Neubauer and Viola W. Bernard. The study involved separating the triplets and placing them in different socioeconomic environments without informing their adoptive families. This revelation raises questions about identity and the ethical implications of the study, which was not disclosed to the families involved.

Why Watch

  • •Meet triplet brothers Edward, David, and Robert.
  • •Find out about the secret study on identical siblings.
  • •See their rise to media fame in the 1980s.

Did You Know

•The brothers discovered each other in 1980 at age 19.
•They opened a restaurant called Triplets after reuniting.
•The film won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award at Sundance 2018.

Perfect For

True crime enthusiastsAdoption storiesPsychological studies