Emmy Award-winning documentarian explores hidden stories of Korean adoptees
Deann Borshay Liem spent much of her childhood believing she was an orphan. Adopted from Korea to the United States in 1966, Liem discovered in the early 1980s that her birth mother and siblings were alive. She also learned that her identity had been switched with another child during the adoption process and that her adoption documents had been falsified. That discovery found its way into Liem's…
Deann Borshay Liem, a Korean-born Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, has dedicated her career to uncovering the hidden stories of Korean adoptees. Born in Korea and adopted by an American family in 1966, Liem spent her childhood unaware of her true identity. In the early 1980s, she discovered that her birth mother and siblings were still alive, and that her identity had been swapped with another child during the adoption process.
Frustrated by the lack of accurate information about her past, Liem turned to documentary filmmaking as a means to piece together her personal history and that of the broader issue of Korea's overseas adoptions.
Her first film, "First Person Plural," released in 2000, chronicles her journey of self-discovery and her search for her birth family. In 2010, Liem followed up with "In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee," which delved into the identity of the girl whose name had been mistakenly substituted for her own. Both films served as intimate, first-person explorations of Liem's adoption, allowing her to challenge and understand her own past.
Liem's work extends beyond her two personal documentaries. By shedding light on the experiences of Korean adoptees, she aims to provide a greater understanding of the complex issues surrounding adoption in Korea and its impact on individuals and families.
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