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This award-winning documentary takes a look at a side of adoption rarely told: what happens after the reunion? Resilience follows a Korean birth mother and her American son as they reunite and attempt to build a relationship after 30 years apart. Unable to communicate with each other, and amidst cultural clashes, the film follows the perspectives of both mother and son as they struggle to become a family again.
As a young mother, Myung-ja found herself on the verge of poverty and desperation. Leaving her son in the care of relatives, she went to another city for work. When she returned, her baby was gone taken away and put up for adoption.
Living in South Dakota, Brent had an "all-American" upbringing, hardly questioning his origins or Korean identity. Brent had always wondered why he was given up but never thought he would find the answer until on Korean national TV when he meets his mother for the first time.
Myung-ja and Brent's lives change forever when they reunite after 30 years. But their reunion is short-lived. Meeting twice in the next four years, the film follows Myung-ja and Brent, as they navigate a delicate and touching path towards reconciliation and understanding.
Tammy was born in Korea and grew up in the U.S. She is a Director and Producer based in Korea for several years. Tammy graduated with a degree in Cinema and Photography from Ithaca College. Her award-winning first film, Searching for Go-Hyang, was broadcast on PBS (2000) and EBS Korea (2007), and screened at film festivals internationally. She was also an associate producer for the award-winning film Behind Forgotten Eyes (2008), narrated by Lost's Yunjin Kim.
Resilience won two awards for Best Documentary and was nominated for two other awards at film festivals in 2010 and 2011. Since Resilience's release, it has been screening at film festivals, and various other outlets internationally. It was also released in art theaters in Seoul, Korea in 2010.
The educational DVD for Resilience has been specially designed for the classroom environment. Included with the DVD are:
15 page discussion guide authored by Eleana Kim (University of Rochester) with Jae Ran Kim (University of Minnesota) and Kim Park Nelson (Minnesota State University Moorhead)
Additional video and interviews featuring:
•Dr. Richard Boas, Korean Unwed Mothers Support Network
•Sang Soon Han, director of Ae Ran Won
•Korean birth parents and adoptive parents
"Truly heart warming, thought provoking, touching... asking us forgotten questions regarding identity, empathy, communication, family, and most of all resilience and love..." - Dongil Lee, Professor, Sogang University
"An extraordinary and moving film, offers important insights into intercountry adoption for general audiences, those with interests in adoption, and students alike." -Professor Denise Cuthbert, RMIT University Melbourne
