“Between Goodbyes” PBS Film (AUDIO)

This week I talked to filmmaker Jota Mun about “Between Goodbyes” the first-time director’s feature that POV will debut on PBS at 10P Monday December 8th. The film follows a Korean adoptee reconnecting with her original mother in Seoul as she unravels decades of silence, stigma, confronting long-held regrets all while facing cultural misunderstandings with tenderness, humor & resilience. “Between Goodbyes” is an open love letter to all original mothers who have suffered from family separation providing a deeper understanding about how the adoption industry affects families globally. As a Korean adoptee Mun’s lived experience brings personal insight & uncommon intimacy to a story that reframes conventional narratives about adoption & kinship. Jota filmed “Between Goodbyes” during the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic through 2021. Archival photos & footage trace the family’s milestones including a reunion in the Netherlands in 2002, time together in South Korea in 2016 & another visit in 2021. Through candid conversations with siblings & extended family “Between Goodbyes” reveals how secrecy & migration intersect inviting audiences into a story that is as complicated as it is loving. Featured in the film are participants Okgyun Kang, Mieke Murkes & Ruth Chon. “Between Goodbyes” made its world premiere at the 2024 DMZ International Film Festival winning the Emerging Filmmaker Award for Jota. The film also won the Special Jury Award for Feature Documentary at the 2024 Santa Fe International Film Festival & was an Official Selection of 2024 DOC NYC. I talked to Jota about the inspiration for “Between Goodbyes” & Mun’s spin on our LGBTQ issues. LISTEN