Ghosts of the République follows Aurelian and Nicolas, a gay newlywed couple, who live just outside of Paris. When they met 10 years ago, they never imagined that having a family would be possible, simply because they were gay. When Nicolas and Aurelian are confronted by France’s conservative surrogacy laws, they decide to exhaust their last option by traveling to Las Vegas to start a family of their own through international surrogacy. Despite France’s reputation for its socially liberal policies, it is one of many nations in Europe where surrogacy is not only illegal, but is also a criminal offense. For this reason, many couples turn elsewhere to have children through surrogacy. This film demonstrates the extreme lengths many gay couples go to have children, examining the ever-expanding and controversial surrogacy industry.
