New documentary 'Geographies of Kinship' examines Korea's controversial adoption program

estelle cooke-sampson
Estelle Cooke-Sampson at her home in the Woodley Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C., March 13, 2019. (Allison Shelley)

After the Korean War ended in 1953, more than 100,000 children were orphaned in North and South Korea, which led to an influx of overseas adoption throughout the next four decades. The film “Geographies of Kinship” tells how South Korea became known for its global adoption program and the impact on those adoptees. The director of “Geographies of Kinship,” Deanne Borshay Liem, joined “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes via Zoom to talk about the complex emotional and practical realities of life as a post-war Korean adoptee. In celebration of Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the documentary will air on World Channel.

Interview highlights:

The director’s own story as a Korean adoptee: