In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee

Deann Borshay Liem's autobiographical documentary focuses on her own unusual childhood and the larger subject of the baby-marketing industry in her homeland. Born in South Korea in 1956, Liem was placed in an orphanage as a youngster and adopted by an American couple. However, the adoptive parents were expecting a child named Cha Jung Hee, and when that girl's father reclaimed her before the formal adoption, Liem was given Hee's identity and told not to reveal the secret. In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee combines first-person narration, archival and contemporary footage, home movies, and interviews as Liem chronicles her return to Korea to reunite with her birth family and find the real Cha Jung Hee. Broadcast on PBS as part of its P.O.V. series, the film also reveals how South Korea still profits from sending abroad thousands of infants and children—mostly the offspring of unwed mothers. Despite the unsettling subject matter, however, the tone is strangely upbeat: one highlight finds Liem calling every Cha Jung Hee in the Seoul telephone directory, enjoying a good laugh at the unlikely responses (including the agitated reaction from a man with that name). A highly personal, real-life detective story that offers an insightful examination of South Korean society and cross-cultural identities, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)