The Last of the Winthrops

A Feature Documentary Film

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Film

Synopsis

THE LAST OF THE WINTHROPS explores the beautiful discoveries of a woman who reclaims her sense of self after taking an Ancestry DNA test. Initially she faces the seismic truth that her father, Reginald Winthrop, who could trace his heritage literally to the founders of America, is not her biological father. When Reg and his beautiful French Canadian wife Claire have their “miracle child”, Viviane is raised as an heir to the historic Winthrop exceptionalism and finds pride in her career in dentistry. After she is contacted by an unknown relative through their Ancestry DNA test, Viviane embraces her new identity, where she finds peace after facing powerful themes about love, blood and family.

Moving fluidly between past and present, through archival footage and private letters and recordings, the film follows Viviane on an epic journey across five countries and hundreds of years to find out who she thought she was… and now knows who she truly is.

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Director Statement

Every year, millions of people mail in cheek swabs in hopes of learning about their roots. Some find confirmation of their family lore; others discover shared kinship with strangers; and then there are a select few who discover something shocking, wondrous, and utterly life altering.

Growing up, I understood that I was part of a storied American family. Through my father Reginald, I was the direct descendant of John Winthrop, a founder and first Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. His lineage had produced an impressive roster of descendants: a U.S. Secretary of State, the first American astronomer, an Olympic gold medalist, multiple movie stars, a founder of the New York Stock Exchange, and the list goes on. It was hard for me to relate but I knew the pressure was on to live up to these expectations.

I knew deep down inside that I wanted to carve out my own path in life and have a big family but I was raised with this idea that I had to be a someone who is career driven first. It took me a lifetime to figure this out but now that I know the truth about myself I don’t have to sacrifice a career over happiness and feel like I have to live up to these expectations to be successful. After a family revelation, I learned that I wasn’t who my parents told me I was.

I wanted to make this film to fully heal myself in hope of helping others in similar circumstances as mine. After learning about the true meaning of nature and nurture, I can now understand what DNA and family are about. This film is a tribute to my father who raised and loved me unconditionally. I’ve learned that family is who you love and who loves you.

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A film inspired by True Events

"Victoria Pont was a close friend and nurse of my father's parents. She was someone who looked out for my father when he was growing up. Victoria closely followed the BBC’s accounts of World War II, by the end of which she had amassed over 1,200 pages of journal entries.

In her writings, she observed global conflicts as keenly as she did the everyday lives of the people she loved, including my father, Reginald Winthrop, and my grandmother, Simone Dauphin Winthrop. My father was deeply fond of Victoria and regarded her as family, calling her “Tante Vicky.” 'Tante' being the French term for 'aunt'."

- Viviane Winthrop

A film inspired by True Events

"Victoria Pont was a close friend and nurse of my father's parents. She was someone who looked out for my father when he was growing up. Victoria closely followed the BBC’s accounts of World War II, by the end of which she had amassed over 1,200 pages of journal entries.

In her writings, she observed global conflicts as keenly as she did the everyday lives of the people she loved, including my father, Reginald Winthrop, and my grandmother, Simone Dauphin Winthrop. My father was deeply fond of Victoria and regarded her as family, calling her “Tante Vicky.” 'Tante' being the French term for 'aunt'."