Third documentary feature of International Emmy Award nominee Jee Hye-won, “Home Away From Home” tracks the history of 57-year-old Anna, actual name Kim Myong-hee, who, for the first time in 43 years, recalls her memory as an adoptee who was sent to rural America when she was 14.
“Home Away From Home” screened as part of Women Direct. Korean Indies! – Korean Women Independent Film Series at the Hong Kong Arts Centre
Starting with her in quarantine in the US, the documentary quickly moves to the story of the Christian Church in Deokjeok Island, in S. Korea, where Father Benedict, along with foster parents Suh Jae-song and In Hyun-ae, raised thousands of orphans of war, eventually sending around 1,600 of them to the US for adoption, including Anna. In that fashion, the movie unfolds in these four paths, the story of Anna, of the two foster parents, of the orphanage, and of a number of other children who found their way to the US.
The meeting of the three after so many years is truly touching, but also amusing, as the elderly couple still consider Anna, and all of their foster kids, as their children, resulting in a series of cheerful situations. The story focuses rather intently on the work the couple did in the remote island, with the fact that there is a whole room filled with records of all the children that stayed there, which actually is being used today by a number of them who now live abroad and want to track their origin, highlighting the impact of their effort in yet another level. Furthermore, their current life, which still includes working for these kids in the aforementioned capacity is also depicted.
At the same time though, Jee Hye-won also shows that not all the adoption stories were successful ones, with Anna’s trauma emerging as quite shattering, as we listen to her opening up for the first time about her childhood, with a number of others in similar positions, eventually also opening up. This realistic, but also dramatic approach is cemented with the fate of the couple and their institution, with the panoramic view of the finale closing the documentary in the best way.
The combination of all the aforementioned elements through the excellent editing of Ark Ki-jung and Jee herself results in a multileveled story that is told in an ideal way, giving space to all the levels to shine, in the rather economical 95 minutes of its duration. At the same time, the film also presents a more general comment about the scars Korea’s 70-year history of overseas adoption left as much as the issues international adoptees face, particularly regarding the fact that they are stuck wandering between two places forever.
“Home Away From Home” is an excellent documentary, which manages to present all of its comments in the most artful fashion.
