The Dark Matter of Love

Eleven-year-old Masha Kulabokhova is on the verge of being adopted by the family of fourteen-year-old Cami Diaz. Masha has spent her life in a Russian orphanage, while Cami has enjoyed the undivided attention of her parents in Wisconsin. The integration of Masha into the Diaz family promises to be a transformative experience for both girls. “The Dark Matter of Love” documents Masha’s journey as she leaves Russia to spend her first year with the Diaz family, who have also welcomed five-year-old twin boys, Marcel and Vadim, into their home. As the family grapples with the unexpected challenges of connecting with children from institutional backgrounds, they enlist the help of two leading developmental psychologists to guide them in forming their new family bonds through scientific methods. Blending moments of humor and heartache, “The Dark Matter of Love” intertwines the Diaz family’s quest to cultivate love with rare archival footage of scientific studies on parent-child affection.