First Person Plural

In 1966, Deann Borshay Liem 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 lead Borshay Liem to discover the truth: her Korean mother was very much alive.

Film Signature Image
Series
POV, True Stories
Premiere Date
December 18, 2000
Length
60 minutes
Funding Initiative
Open Call
  • Award laurels-r Created with Sketch.
    2000 SFFilm Festival-Grand Prize for Best Bay Area Documentary Feature
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    Producer

    Deann Borshay Liem

    Deann Borshay Liem is an Emmy Award-winning documentarian known for films that explore adoption, war, and memory. Her films include First Person Plural, In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee, Geographies of Kinship, Memory of Forgotten War, Crossings, and the oral history project, Legacies of the Korean War. She is producer for Vivien’s Wild Ride.

    Other ITVS Films
    In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee
    Vivien's Wild Ride

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    The Film

    First Person Plural chronicles Deanne Borshay Liem’s experiences as a South Korean child adopted by a white American family. A first-time journey to Korea with her adoptive American mother and father reveals a deeply personal story about mistaken identity, and uncovers broader issues about the loss of culture resulting from assimilation and American attitudes toward immigrants and minorities.

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