EVENT DESCRIPTION
Coming to You: A documentary on two Korean mothers embracing their queer kids
Directed by Gyuri Byun/ 2021/ 93 Minutes/ South Korea/ Documentary
Gyuri Byun’s groundbreaking Korean documentary centers on two working class mothers, Nabi and Vivian. Like many in South Korea, where there is a distinct lack of legal protections for queer communities and gay marriage remains illegal, neither women gave much thought to LGBTQ+ rights or its growing advocacy among the country’s younger generations. Their lives and perceptions, however, are when their respective children come out to them – Nabi’s daughter as trans, and Vivian’s son as gay. Reluctant to accept this news at first, both women’s reactions reveal deep-rooted discriminatory beliefs about queerness. This is not uncommon in South Korean society, which makes their respective transformations all the more impactful – both women grow to not only accept their children’s gender and sexuality, but become activists in their own right as members of Parents, Families and Allies of LGBTAIQ+ People in Korea. Both Nabi and Vivian grapple with the pain and loneliness their children feel, the struggle to access gender affirming care, and the yearning for social and familial acceptance.
Following the film, join us for an insightful conversation with the screening’s curator, Juyeon Bae, Research Professor from Critical Global Studies Institute, Sogang University, to discuss the social context of the documentary, the personal journeys of Nabi and Vivian, and the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ rights in South Korea.
Post-screening talk will be conducted in English.
