Dad + daughter arc very touching and difficult to watch. A lot of vulnerability here. I have respect for the filmmakers’ consistency and tenacity staying with the family all these years and filming personal, difficult moments. some of the verite moments are stronger than others and sometimes wished there was less reliance on the narration / VO

IFF Boston 2026

I worked with Yeomyung School in the past, another school in Seoul for defectors. This touched me in many ways … was crying from the first ten min and didn’t stop. I’m amazed at how much was filmed from just a year of filming. Philip’s phone call was extremely moving 

Admiring that this film explains the nuances and varied experiences of North Korean defection primarily through personal stories and interviews

Ashamed that it took me this long!

Thinking a lot how you may not fully understand things that you see and hear and experience until later.

On a literal level, like languages you don’t understand.

On an emotional level, like things you can’t process in the moment.

And I guess temporally? Like things you won’t understand until the future comes and different moments interact with that memory.

Filming documentaries is such a blessing and a loaded position to be in. Making a memoir from images of other people and places is a blessing and also loaded. 

“You know I’m shooting you, right?”

Squirming in my seat… but awesome. And a packed theater!!’ AMC boston common