Intertwined Lives

Description: Double the pleasure. Double the pain. An intimate look at the INTERWINED LIVES of identical twins. We've all heard highly romanticized stories about identical twins, like twins who've been separated at birth only to grow up leading remarkably similar lives, or twins who can sense when the other one is in danger. But what's the opposite side of these stories? What are the experiences of twins who become weary of constantly being confused with their identical twin? How would it feel to share 100% of your DNA with someone else and be pressured by everyone to perform the same in school, in sports, and in various other aspects of your lives? Intertwined Lives explores the lives of five sets of identical twins, all at different stages in their lives and relationships, to answer these questions./Ben and Nathaniel Ludewig (both 10 years old) remember believing they were one person, named "Bendanno," when they were younger--although that hasn't stopped the two boys from fighting like cats and dogs. But, as people get older, more things start to factor into their lives and things get a bit more complicated and sometimes bittersweet./ Inseparable, Ruth and Rachel Sandweiss have lived together for most of their lives. Rachels' recent engagement, though, has created a difficult moment in their relationship. Now, the two women wonder what life will be like no longer being able to spend all of their time together. At the opposite end of the spectrum, there are AHNA and IRENE FERTIK, who chose to spend 20 years of their adult lives completely separated from each other (living on opposite coasts of the US). They thought that this would be good for their lives, since they wouldn't be there to constantly influence each other's decisions. But, even with all that time apart, the two still haven't found a happy medium in their relationship./ In a similar vein, PAUL GOLDSMITH, for several years now, has been estranged from his twin brother, Aaron. When asked, Paul says he feels as though having an identical twin robs one of their identity. So, let's face it: some twins love being twins, and others absolutely hate it. But, in the end, it's the close bonds and the constant competition twins have in their intertwined lives that defines not only their relationships, but also their identities.