Somewhere Between

Somewhere Between tells the intimate stories of four Chinese girls who are born to families who are unable to keep them. Instead of being raised by their biological parents the baby girls are given to orphanages and eventually adopted by American families.  Somewhere Between lets four girls tell their own stories, from their point of view.  We gain access to their deepest thoughts—about their families, their feelings of being an “other,” and their powerful connections to a past that most of them cannot recall.  Directed by adoptive parent Linda Goldstein Knowlton.

http://www.somewherebetweenmovie.com/

(The film will be screening in Seattle Oct. 19-Oct. 25, but this AAAW event is for Oct. 19.)

Join member’s of AAAW for the opening night on Friday Oct 19th and participate in an open forum Q&A with film producer Pat Verducci.  After the film, we’ll pick a nearby restaurant for a late dinner/drinks.

Tickets are now available to purchase online:  http://www.landmarktheatres.com/tickets/default.asp.

Date: Friday October 19
Time: 7:15pm (Meet in the theater lobby at 7:00 p.m. to sit with other AAAW-ers)
Location: Varsity Landmark Theatre
4329 University Way NE, Seattle
(206) 781-5755

Cost: Individual cover own cost for ticket and dinner

Deann Borshay Liem, Korean adoptee & filmmaker, has a new film in the works – Geographies of Kinship.  Deann is the creator of the ground-breaking and influential documentaries First Person Plural and In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee.  AAAW has been a proud supporter of Deann’s previous films, and we are excited to share the news about her new project, which is a film that follows Korean adoptees from the U.S. and Europe on their journeys to reconnect with their birth country and piece together the past.  See below to view the trailer, and to contribute to the completion of the film, visit the film’s Kickstarter page.  Deann’s films have been meaningful to so many members of our community and have contributed greatly to a better understanding of adoption.  We are thrilled to see her new project unfold!

The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) is back which means Asian cinema!
Come join us and enjoy two handpicked films that capture the imagination,
captivating story telling, and ground breaking innovation found in Asian cinema.
Entertainment guaranteed; popcorn is optional.

For each film we will meet at the venue approximately 30 minutes before showtime
in order to secure seats. We recommend you purchase tickets in advance in case the
film becomes sold out; however, tickets can be purchased at the venue’s box office.
After the movie screening we will have a fun discussion about the movie at a nearby
restaurant or café. Please RSVP and/or pass the word to other community members.
See you at the theater!

Questions? Please contact Adam Sung Waldron at Adam@aaawashington.org

1)
FILM: Starry Starry Night (TAIWAN)
DATE: Sunday, May 20
TIME: 4:00PM
WHERE: AMC Pacific Place 11
Tickets: http://www.siff.net/festival/film/reserve.aspx?fid=254&id=12300

2)
FILM: Sunny (S. Korea)
DATE: Saturday, June 2
TIME: 11:30AM
WHERE: Egyptian Theatre

SIFF Website: http://tinyurl.com/7makxz9
SIFF Asian Crossroads Website: http://tinyurl.com/866ucm2
SIFF Tickets Information: http://tinyurl.com/7q2cykz
Tickets: http://www.siff.net/festival/film/reserve.aspx?fid=254&id=12306

Asian Adult Adoptees of Washington is hosting a free film screening of Wo Ai Ni (I love you) Mommy with permission from filmmaker Stephanie Wang-Breal and PBS Point of View. A discussion session will be available after this film.

Date: April 15, 2012
Time: 1:00-3:30PM (Film start at 1pm and discussion afterwards)
Place: 2100 Building, Art Room
Address: 2100 24th Avenue South Seattle, WA 98144
Parking: Street parking
Seating is limited so please RSVP to this event by emailing aaawash@gmail.com

WO AI NI (I LOVE YOU) MOMMY is the story of Fang Sui Yong, an 8-year-old orphan, and the Sadowskys, a Long Island Jewish family that travels to China to adopt her. The film follows the family through the process of picking up Sui Yong from China to a year and a half later as she acclimates to her new family and culture.

You can visit the PBS Point of View website for full film description and information.
http://www.pbs.org/pov/woainimommy/film_description.php

Our friends to the south, Adult Korean Adoptees of Portland (AKAP) will host a special event – the Pacific Northwest premiere of the film, “Wedding Palace,” with special appearances by actresses Joy Osmanski and Nancy J. Lee.  For full details, please visit the AKAP website.

WHAT:  “Wedding Palace” film screening and Q&A with Joy Osmanski & Nancy J. Lee

WHERE:  Rec Center Auditorium, Portland State University, 1800 SW 6th Ave, Portland OR

WHEN:  Saturday, November 19, 2011.  5:30-7:00pm (film screening); 7:00-8:00pm (Q&A)

COST:  $10 (plus processing fee).  Tickets can be purchased here.

LODGING:  AKAP has graciously secured a friends & family rate of $79/night (plus taxes/fees) at Portland State University’s University Place Hotel.  In order to secure the rate, please call the hotel & mention the AKAP event.

CARPOOL FROM SEATTLE:  If you are interested in carpooling with other AAAW members down to Portland, please contact Sonya Oh at yoonjaw@gmail.com.

About the film, “Wedding Palace”:

Pressured to get married by family and friends, 29-year-old advertising executive Jason Kim finds the woman of his dreams in cyberspace, 9000 miles away in Seoul, Korea. Complications arise when his bride to be arrives in Los Angeles for the first time.

Jason Kim (Brian Tee) is struggling to overcome the dreadful fate of an ancient family curse that threatens his very life if he is not married by his 30th birthday. The drama takes off when the picture perfect girl, Jinnie Park (Joy Osmanski) abandons Jason at the altar of the Wedding Palace. With Jason’s 30th birthday or death fast approaching, bridal replacements are quickly interviewed. To the horror of Jason’s parents (Stephen Park and Jean Yoon), Jason rejects them all, insisting he believes more in love than some ridiculous family curse. On a business trip to Korea, he finally meets the girl of his dreams, Na Young Song (Kang Hye-jung). They embark on a long distance cyber love affair fueled by imagination and 24/7 video chats. Jason proposes to Na Young and his family is delighted. But when Na Young arrives in Los Angeles, what Jason soon discovers is that a relationship can sometimes be deeper online than in real life. Can Jason find the courage to defy his parents and bridge the gap between family expectations of beauty and true love? With all of her shortcomings, is Na Young the special girl with the power to break his family’s ancient curse forever?

Asian Adult Adoptees of Washington, Intiman Theatre, and the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience are proud to present film screenings of two powerful films directed by Korean adoptees: In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee and Resilience!  Both filmmakers will be available for Q&A sessions following their respective screenings as well.

DATE:  Sunday, June 5, 2011
TIME:  1:00 – 5:00 pm (In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee @ 1:00 pm and Resilience at 3:15 pm)
PLACE:  The Wing’s Tateuchi Story Theatre
ADDRESS:  719 South King Street, Seattle WA  98104
SUGGESTED DONATION: $10 for both screenings, $7 for one screening

**Seating is limited.  Please reserve a seat by going to Brown Paper Tickets.

In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee is filmmaker Deann Borshay Liem’s journey as she returns to Korea to find out who was Cha Jung Hee, her name before she was adopted to American parents. Join us for a Q&A with Deann after the screening.  The screening of In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee is a collaboration with POV, PBS’ award-winning nonfiction film series.  You may already be familiar with Deann’s previous work, including First Person Plural.

See through the eyes of a Korean birth mother, Myung-ja, and her American son, Brent, in the film Resilience, and discover how they built their relationship after finding each other again. Filmmaker Tammy Chu will also be available for a Q&A immediately following the screening.  The film has won numerous awards, including “Best Documentary Feature Film Award” at the DC Asian Pacific Film Festival.

These film screenings are also part of the programming for The Wing’s exhibit Born into Identity: The Asian Pacific American Adoptees Experience on display through June 19, 2011.