Coming to You
Gyuri Byun's groundbreaking Korean documentary centers on two working class mothers, Nabi and Vivian. Like many in South Korea, where there is a distinct lack of legal protections for queer communities and gay marriage remains illegal, neither women gave much thought to LGBTQ+ rights or its growing advocacy among the country's younger generations. Their lives and perceptions, however, are when their respective children come out to them – Nabi's daughter as trans, and Vivian's son as gay. Reluctant to accept this news at first, both women's reactions reveal deep-rooted discriminatory beliefs about queerness. This is not uncommon in South Korean society, which makes their respective transformations all the more impactful – both women grow to not only accept their children's gender and sexuality, but become activists in their own right as members of Parents, Families and Allies of LGBTAIQ+ People in Korea. Both Nabi and Vivian grapple with the pain and loneliness their children feel, the struggle to access gender affirming care, and the yearning for social and familial acceptance.
Cast
- Eunae 'Nabi' Jeong
- Sunhwa 'Vivian' Kang
- Hankyeol Lee
- Yejoon Joung
- "“Coming to You”, with its two exceptionally relatable testimonials, is an inspiring account of how mentality, prejudices and social expectations can change and leave space to respect, acceptance and happiness."
- ""Coming to You" emerges as an excellent documentary, which makes its comments in a way that is both easy to watch and highly informative."
- "Coming to You is a sweet, understanding and kind exploration of mother-son relationships and how they evolve. It’s an inspiration for other parents to embrace their queer children, watching how these two mothers whole-heartedly throw themselves into the community, prepared to listen, learn and love their children for who they are."
- "By concentrating on a handful on individuals, we get to witness firsthand how difficult the journey through the South Korean legal structure is...."
- "“Coming to You”, with its two exceptionally relatable testimonials, is an inspiring account of how mentality, prejudices and social expectations can change and leave space to respect, acceptance and happiness."
- ""This film is a stark look at how this deeply traditional conservative society treats a vulnerable, marginalized group of people. It’s not pretty, but it’s necessary to see where they are and to extrapolate what needs to happen to bring equality to all. The question looming over the issue is this: if a society only welcomes people who adhere to a very narrow definition of mores and social structures, then what happens to those who are different? How dull and awful would the world be?""
- ""Writer/director Gyuri Byun’s Coming to You is a monument to the love and support families can provide for their children even if it takes the older generation a minute to get there....Centered on the mothers’ journeys to acceptance, the film could have benefitted from a deeper exploration of the children’s experiences. A few more interviews with them would have really strengthened the project. But the moms are raw and honest, flawed but trying. And the extent they are willing to listen, love and change to support their kids is just beautiful.""
Gallery
Awards & Recognition
Documentary Award
Jeonju Film Festival
Special Mention - Korean Film Competition
Jeonju Film Festival
Brave New Docs Award
DMZ Int'l. Documentary Film Festival
Best Film of the Year
Cine21
Best Documentary
Grand Bell Awards, South Korea