Brian's Review - Finding Seoul

What really makes you who you are?

Released: 2011
Genre(s): Documentary, Biography

The Little Theater was packed to the gills - never before had I seen so many Koreans and their families in one place (well, besides the time I had reluctantly attended Korean culture camp as a youth). Rochester is definitely down with the Korean kids.

We were all there for the screening of John Sanvidge's documentary "Finding Seoul" - a film following John's first attempts to make contact with his birth mother in Seoul, South Korea. "Birth mother?" you may ask, confused by the prospect of John potentially being a test tube baby trying to track down a group of rogue geneticists. But no, John wasn't there just for himself; the unveiling of his movie was a shared experience, as almost everyone in the theater was a Korean adoptee (myself included), or someone who had adopted a child from Korea. John's film asked the same questions about identity that many of us asked ourselves growing up and some of us were hoping for answers to.

Coming from a similar situation as John, I was mostly curious to see what the outcome of his personal journey was. I had a slew of questions that I hoped the movie could answer: Did he find his birth mother? Did this quest change how he felt about his family and vice versa? If so, was the experience worth it? Also, why is every Korean I meet taller than me? Do I just have inferior, recessive genes, like an Asian version of Snooki (because I will have to kill myself)? You know, the important stuff.

I wasn't surprised I found the movie incredibly relatable, but what did surprise me was how open and genuine everyone in "Finding Seoul" was: John's journey was an honest one, and when he hit a snag, there wasn't some contrived subplot or deus ex machina to push things forward. Sure, people supported his endeavors in full - most notably his parents, who lovingly and unquestionably threw their support behind their son - but the favors done for him were not ones made only for the camera. And while some might find the film too slow or not rip-roaringly exciting enough due to this, there is no denying the authenticity of this work. This was pure documentary and it involved human perspective straight from its sources, without unneeded sensationalism.

From it's opening moments, I knew one thing for certain: I was not going to be able to keep my shit together. "Finding Seoul" dug at my core like few movies have for me, and watching John lay his hopes, fears, doubts, and dreams out in the open was like watching a piece of myself onscreen. In short, it was enough to make me put on the waterworks multiple times during the film's duration. If John's family's unwavering love and support doesn't make you tear up at least once like a 14-year-old girl watching "The Notebook," then you clearly have some issues expressing yourself.

I'm truly grateful I was able to share in such a powerful experience, but at the same time I have to question how universal this movie's reach is. Not everyone will be able to find the subject matter as profound as I did, which is an unfortunate but undeniable consequence of tackling such a niche topic. My only hope is that those who aren't able to relate quite as obviously to the film are able to take away the bigger message here: nobody can ever really know who they are. It might sound bleak and it might sound hopeless, but it's the shared part of the human experience that keeps us striving for answers every day.

While "Finding Seoul" left much unanswered - both for John and for the audience - the journey is still a satisfying one worth taking. It really managed to make me step back and appreciate the family I have, who I've become because of them, and where I'm going in life. For that, I can't give enough thanks to John. Rarely does something this personal, touching, and worthy of attention come along.

Worth a watch, regardless of your background? Hell yes.

Rating (out of 5): 4

QUICK NOTE: John plans on a return visit to Korea to continue his search for answers. For those who want to follow his ongoing endeavors, the "Finding Seoul" Facebook page is a good place to show your support. Enjoy!