POV, Between Goodbyes
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / 49.1)
Sunday, Dec. 14, at 11 PM
The film follows a queer Korean adoptee reconnecting with her original mother in Seoul, as she unravels decades of silence, stigma, confronting long-held regrets, and cultural misunderstandings with tenderness, humor, and resilience. As a fellow queer Korean adoptee, Mun’s lived experience brings personal insight and uncommon intimacy to a story that reframes conventional narratives about adoption and kinship.
Unlike a common stereotype of international adoption, Okgyun Kang was married when her fourth child, Mieke, was placed for adoption to the Netherlands. Two Evangelical Christians in the Netherlands adopted Mieke from South Korea in 1982. She didn’t consider searching for her original family until 2002, when, unexpectedly, they reached out to her. Amid the intense social pressure of the era, Okgyun has long carried regret and continues to ask her daughter for forgiveness. Years into a tumultuous reunion, Mieke returns to Seoul to spend time with her original family. As backstories surface from both mother and daughter, the women share meals, memories, and sharp truths.
