This in-person screening of DEAR MOTHER will be preceded by the shorts, DEAR DAD and MY 4,500 HEXAGONS:
DEAR DAD:
Noah Kim grew up “completely American,” even though his father was a first generation Korean immigrant. His father had a tumultuous relationship with his parents, resulting in Noah never being exposed to Korean language, food, or culture during his youth. When his father passed away his senior year of high school, Noah became increasingly interested in exploring this part of his identity. While in college, he won a scholarship to study Korean language and culture at Sogang University in Seoul during the summer of 2023. He penned a written letter to his late father about his time there, then expanded that piece into a visual letter, which became this documentary.
MY 4,500 HEXAGONS:
MY 4,500 HEXAGONS is a documentary that follows Brooklyn-based artist Anni Reffsin on her journey to complete an English paper pieced quilt composed of over 4,500 hexagonal textile fragments gathered from her relationships and projects in costume/apparel design. In the process, Reffsin works to reshape her relationship with her adoptive mother and herself.
Anni Reffsin’s hand-stitched English paper pieced quilt, “Untitled”, will be on view in the lobby of the Regal Union Square on August 11th.
Together, the pieces invite new perspectives on transracial adoption, artistic process, and reciprocity in queer Asian American communities.
This screening will be followed by a filmmaker Q&A.
— About DEAR MOTHER —
Climber and transracial Asian-American, Cody Kaemmerlen, searches for connection with his birth parents after a near-death fall that leaves him shaken and grasping for answers.