Watch First Person Plural now

In this Emmy Award-nominated documentary, filmmaker Deann Borshay Liem explores themes of race, identity, assimilation, and birth family reunion. In 1966, Deann was adopted by an American family and was sent from Korea to her new home. Growing up in California, the memory of her birth family was nearly obliterated until recurring dreams led Deann to discover the truth: her Korean mother was very much alive. Bravely uniting her biological and adoptive families, Deann's heartfelt journey makes First Person Plural a poignant essay on family, loss, and the reconciling of two identities.

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2000 and was broadcast nationally on PBS through the award-winning documentary series, Point of View (POV). The film had an encore presentation on PBS along with its follow-up, In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee, on August 10, 2010.

"Since its debut in 2000, First Personal Plural has become a milestone in documentary film and adoption narratives...I highly recommend it for use in the classroom. It provides an effective introduction to the issues raised by adoption across borders and invariably provokes in-depth discussions around broader issues of transnational migration, gender, kinship, race, and multiculturalism." - Eleana Kim, Ph.D., Department of Anthropology, University of Rochester

AWARDS & SCREENINGS

Emmy Award Nomination, Outstanding Achievement in the Craft of Directing 2000

Grand Jury Prize, Best Documentary, San Francisco International Film Festival 2000

Best Documentary, DocAviv 2000

Official Selection, Sundance Film Festival 2000

Running Time

61 mins

Year

2000

Kanopy ID

1049880

Filmmakers

Deann Borshay Liem

Languages

English

Subjects

Documentaries > Ethnicity & Identity

Documentaries > Women & Society

Social Sciences > Race & Class Studies

Social Sciences > Sociology

Documentaries

Staff Picks

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Brooklyn Public Library•1 month ago

Very interesting story. Well done.

aileen-kroll-1

University of Maryland - College Park•7 months ago

Such a compelling story and so well told. Thank you for sharing the complexities/challenges of a revealed life.

Anna

Kanopy Staff•1 year ago

A fantastic documentary sharing an intimate glimpse into the life of a Korean American adoptee who grew up searching for her cultural identity. Deann carefully guides the viewer along her personal journey shedding light onto the complex history behind the Korean War and the emotional ...Read more

Deann

New Day Films•2 years ago•Filmmaker

My hope is for this film to be used as a tool for discussing difficult issues — race, assimilation, family, cultural identity, adoption — and their influence on our lives. Please be sure to check out my follow-up adoption film,IN THE ...Read more

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First Person Plural

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