GOING HOME

GOING HOME @ Chicago Asian American Showcase on April 3!

2010-03-15T09:43:00.002+09:00

Hi everyone,

GOING HOME will be having it's Chicago premiere at the 15th Annual Chicago Asian American Showcase at the Gene Siskel Film Center in 3 weeks! Jason & I are going to try to make it out there.

Time: Saturday, April 3 @ 5PM

Location: Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 North State Street, Chicago, Illinois 60601

Price: $10 general admission / $7 students. Tickets available at door or online starting Sat, March 20 after 5PM.

http://www.faaim.org/going-home/

Chicago Asian American Showcase site: http://www.faaim.org/

Gene Siskel Film Center site: http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/aashowcase2010

Please feel free to pass this along to any friends and family that you have in the Chicago area.

Apologies to everyone on the west coast, due to programming conflicts the Korean Film Festival in Los Angeles was not able to screen Going Home this month.

Hope to see you in Chicago!

Best,

Mikyung & Jason

Join us on Facebook

GOINGHOMETHEMOVIE.com

Chicago Asian American Showcase!

2010-03-04T16:35:00.004+09:00

GOING HOME has just been accepted to the Chicago Asian American Showcase!

We are screening on Saturday, April 3, 2010. Time TBD.

http://www.faaim.org/going-home

GOING HOME @ Korean American Film Festival New York!

2010-01-25T11:30:00.005+09:00

GOING HOME playing at KAFFNY on Sunday, Feb 28 @ 2PM.

Location: SVA Theater, 333 West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011

Price: general-$10, students & seniors - $8

early bird special (up to 2 weeks before festival) $8, $6

weekend pass: $25

Buy tickets here: http://kaffnyfeature2.eventbrite.com/

www.kaffny.com

Review in The Daily Aztec newspaper

2009-11-08T12:11:00.004+09:00

Read full review here

San Diego Asian Film Festival

2009-10-30T07:54:00.002+09:00

This past weekend we attended the San Diego Asian Film Festival and had an amazing time! Thank you so much to the entire SDAFF team and of course a very special thank you again to the whole ThirdCat crew who made everything possible. It was a hugely successful event and had a packed theater for our screening. We will be posting pictures on our website soon!

"10 Questions for Jason Hoffmann" Interview by Lee Ann Kim, Executive Director of SDAFF

2009-10-13T10:50:00.006+09:00

View full article here: http://tinyurl.com/ylovemn

Excerpt:

"LA: There have been several documentaries by Korean adoptees searching for their biological parents (and even one live action film, "My Father," starring Daniel Henney). How is your film different?

JH: Making "Going Home" was incredibly challenging on many levels but as a filmmaker I knew that I wanted to create a film that would be a celebration of adoption. In addition, I wanted a wide range of people from different backgrounds to experience how I view the world and how I ultimately define what home and family is to me."

GOING HOME @ SDAFF on 10/23, 7:30PM!

2009-10-13T09:50:00.005+09:00

The screening schedule for San Diego Asian Film Festival has been released!

GOING HOME will screen twice at SDAFF!

First screening:

Friday 10/23 @ 7:30PM, Ultrastar Theater (7510 Hazard Center Drive, located off Friars Road at 163, San Diego, CA 92108)

*Followed by Q&A Session!*

Second screening:

Tuesday 10/27 @ 5PM, Ultrastar Theater (7510 Hazard Center Drive, located off Friars Road at 163, San Diego, CA 92108)

Jason and I will both be at the screening on Friday 10/23 (it's also my birthday!) as well as a few members of the GOING HOME crew - Ross Girard (associate producer), Andrew Leven (co-editor) and Kevin Walker (co-editor). This will be the first time that we've all been to a public screening of GOING HOME together!

Ticket details will be posted momentarily!!

Catherine Heigl

2009-09-23T05:16:00.002+09:00

More and more, pop culture and media icons are embracing adoption. Most recently, Catherine Heigl has adopted a Korean baby. It's very exciting for me to see this in the news and I think as adoption becomes more prevalent in the media, adoption will be more widely accepted. There is a great article here...

http://tinyurl.com/mexsdz

- Jason

Toronto

2009-09-04T03:00:00.001+09:00

I recently got back from Toronto where ThirdCat was invited to have a private screening of GOING HOME.

It was a truly wonderful occasion and I thank everyone who was involved for having such a wonderful event for all of the adoptees and their families. I think it definitely makes a huge impact on everyone who attends.

I know I feel very grateful and thankful that there are organizations like the KCCA (Korean Canadian Children’s Association). I will never forget the experience and am honored to have been a part of this years camp.

Again if you would like to be part of our mailing list please e-mail info@thirdcatproductions.com and in the header write, "MAILING LIST".

Special screening at Korean Canadian Children's Association

2009-08-28T15:25:00.005+09:00

Jason is currently en route to Toronto to attend a special screening of GOING HOME at KCCA's heritage summer camp. Thanks again to KCCA for the generous invite and fully sponsoring Jason's trip.

A bit about KCCA:

The Korean Canadian Children’s Association (KCCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of the Canadian adoptive families with Korean children. Currently, there are about 3000 Korean born children adopted to Canadian families. Every year, an average of 100 Korean children are adopted in Canada. Our main goal is connecting the adoptive families to other adoptive families as well as organizing various cultural events focused on embracing Korean culture.

Our most anticipated event of the year is the heritage summer camps in August. Families come together from all across the country to enjoy a weekend away with other adoptive families. Delicious Korean food is served and various Korean cultural events take place during the three day camp. Programs include family games, cooking contests, water-gun fights, dancing, movie, campfire, Q&A with youth speakers and more.

http://www.kccato.com

**We are still accepting donations towards GOING HOME via PayPal and US tax deductible donation through Film Forum. Any amount will make a difference. Even $5 - that'll buy us our DVD packaging!**

GOING HOME IN SAN DIEGO ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL

2009-08-05T14:51:00.001+09:00

Check out us out on their official list of films!! http://tinyurl.com/nlzqto

RHODE ISLAND ADDS 'GOING HOME' TO INDIE LINE UP

2009-07-30T14:20:00.004+09:00

Hi Everyone!

The world premiere of GOING HOME at Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival was a success!

We are very excited to announce that GOING HOME will have its North American premiere at the Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) next week!

The film has been selected to screen in the “Documentary” category of the festival. The North American premiere screening will take place on Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at 8:00 PM local time at Brown/RISD Hillel (89 Brown Street, Providence, RI 02906). The 2009 Rhode Island Film Festival runs August 4 - 9, 2009 in Providence, Rhode Island. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/76136.

GH's page on RIIFF's website: http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/goinghome_riff2009

Unfortunately due to lack of funds, we are not able to attend RIIFF. But we hope that our lack of presence will be made up by yours!

Please help GOING HOME reach the widest audience possible. We continue to accept tax deductible donations to keep this film moving forward. Please visit: www.filmforum.org/sponsorship to donate online. Even the smallest donation can make a huge impact for GOING HOME.

Thanks again for all your love & support for GH.

Jason & Mikyung

GOING HOME to premiere at the 2009 Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival

2009-06-27T07:25:00.007+09:00

SEE US ON THE WEBSITE: http://tinyurl.com/kjt3gv

Los Angeles,CA – ThirdCat Productions’ full-length feature documentary GOING HOME will have its world premiere at the 13^th Annual Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival in Korea. GOING HOME follows Jason Hoffmann, a Jewish raised Korean adoptee living in New York City as he travels halfway around the world in an effort to find his birth family. Filled with deeply human moments of joy and pain, GOING HOME shares Jason's intimate search and the realization of what his life could have been had he not been adopted. In the face of adversity and complete upheaval of buried insecurities about his identity, Jason will find a profound new meaning of family. The film has been selected to screen in the “Family Fanta” category of the festival alongside three other films in its group. The world premiere screening will take place on Saturday, July 18, 2009 at 11:00 AM local time. In addition, the film will screen on Monday, July 20, 2009 at 5:00 PM local time. The 2009 Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival runs July 16 – 26, 2009 in Bucheon, Korea. A complete list of films is available at www.pifan.com.

Updates...

2009-06-11T10:02:00.003+09:00

There have been so many new and exciting updates about GOING HOME that we are eagerly waiting to announce. Check in daily for the latest news and updates! They will be coming very soon...

Article in KOREAN QUARTERLY!

2009-05-18T06:15:00.007+09:00

Finally! Here's the article featured in KOREAN QUARTERLY! We're on the COVER of the Second section & 2 pages long! (click to enlarge)

Featured in KOREAN QUARTERLY magazine!

2009-05-06T13:14:00.005+09:00

We're on the front page of their website!! Article to come soon!

Celebrities on Adoption

2009-04-12T19:43:00.001+09:00

Adoption Phenomenon

2009-04-07T09:29:00.002+09:00

It seems as though everywhere I look adoption is in the media. Angelina Jolie, Madonna, Meg Ryan... I haven't been following any of these celebrities that closely and don't even know all of the circumstances, so I apologize in advance if this offends anyone but I think it's wonderful that big well known and established celebrities are brave enough and have come out to support and encourage adoption. It feels good as an adoptee that everyone has began to think about adoption and has started an open conversation about it. It is so important, in my mind at least, that this topic is discussed openly as well as behind closed doors.

- Jason

Documentaries

2009-03-31T10:30:00.004+09:00

Today I read a very interesting article on Cinematical. The whole article was essentially about whether the term documentary should be dropped because of its social stigma. When people ask me if I am a big fan of documentaries, I have to be honest, I'm not. I love all different sorts of movies but I couldn't say that documentary is my favorite genre. However, it is by far one of the most powerful genres when done correctly. In thinking about this in relation to Going Home, I feel as though I sought out to make a movie that didn't abide by so-called "conventional" standards or procedures of documentaries. I wanted to make a film that I would want to see myself. In the strictest sense, Going Home is still a documentary no question. But I think it falls into a category which hasn't been clearly defined in my mind. Going Home is a documentary with a narrative sensibility... I will leave it at that...

- Jason

Fitting In

2009-03-24T14:39:00.001+09:00

To a certain extent, I think it's important to fit in. I don't mean this is a "conformist" way but rather it's important to find a place in which one feels comfortable. Whether it's a group of friends, a larger community, or even an area. There are so many ways that someone can identify ones' self. I think it's important to figure this out for yourself and not seek acceptance everywhere.

Growing up, I never wanted to be a part of the Korean culture and embrace my heritage but by choice I wanted to as I grew older. Obviously, this is a personal choice and is one of the many ways I am comfortable identifying myself as.

Featured in KoreAm Journal's March 2009 issue!

2009-03-17T14:04:00.005+09:00

"A HEART-THROBBING DOCUMENTARY"

- KoreAm Journal

This is our first English press outside of Emerson College! KoreAm Journal is a popular monthly magazine for Korean Americans in the US. www.koreamjournal.com

Press and PR

2009-03-17T10:35:00.002+09:00

It's very exciting to be getting all of our recent press. There is definitely a huge community and a much larger audience that seems to be interested in Going Home than just Korean Adoptees. Some people have started to ask me if it is weird that so much of my personal life is being published. Going into this process from the very beginning I knew that I would have to anticipate sharing intimate things about myself. I'm just glad that people have been able to identify with the themes and emotions of our film in their daily lives.

- Jason

New York

2009-03-13T15:47:00.006+09:00

It has almost been a year since I moved to Los Angeles. I can't believe it. Time has flown by. When people ask me where I'm from, I always say New York.

I wonder at what point someone can consider a new place where they live their home.

-Jason

Featured in The Korea Times on March 2, 2009!

2009-03-05T15:48:00.003+09:00

GOING HOME featured in The Korea Times newspaper on Monday, March 2, 2009!

Featured in The Korea Times newspaper today - March 2, 2009!

2009-03-03T10:01:00.003+09:00

GOING HOME is featured in The Korea Times newspaper today! If you're in the Los Angeles area, pick up a copy at your local newsstand!

Featured in the Korea Daily newspaper on Feb. 21, 2009!

2009-03-01T13:35:00.001+09:00

GOING HOME was featured in The Korea Daily newspaper on Saturday, Feb. 21st, 2009! This is our first big news piece and we're so excited that the word about the film is getting out!

GOING HOME - Trailer

2008-10-23T13:45:00.002+09:00

We have finally picture locked and color corrected the documentary! Almost done! In the meantime check out our Trailer.

FLYER for Screening

2008-05-05T15:06:00.001+09:00

BFA Screening of GOING HOME!!

2008-04-28T18:26:00.003+09:00

Hey everyone!

We're finally having a screening of GOING HOME!

Details:

FIRST screening at Remis Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, Friday May 16th, 12 PM.

Directions to Museum of Fine Arts

SECOND screening at Emerson College, Walker Building, RM 233, Sunday May 18th, 5:30PM.

Directions to Emerson College

Admission is FREE and open to EVERYONE!

GOING HOME is a part of the general screening for all BFA films from the past year and a half!

Seating is on a first come first serve basis.

Hope to see you all there!!

ThirdCat in LOS ANGELES

2008-02-26T15:50:00.003+09:00

Jason and I moved out here to Los Angeles to finish up our degree with Emerson. They have a program here where we take classes and have an internship at the same time. So sorry for the delayed update - I guess it was we were relocating our lives to LA!

Just watched the Oscars last night, and one speech stuck out in my mind so much. It was Marketa Irglova's acceptance speech for Achievement in Music (Song) for ONCE, "Falling Slowly". Once is an amazingly beautiful movie that everyone should see, and it is so full of hope. Just like Marketa's speech. An excerpt -

"This is such a big deal, not only for us, but for all other independent musicians and artists that spend most of their time struggling, and this, the fact that we're standing here tonight, the fact that we're able to hold this, it's just to prove no matter how far out your dreams are, it's possible. And, you know, fair play to those who dare to dream and don't give up".

I write about this on our blog because it applies so much to what we are doing here. SO MANY people have helped us along the way, for little or no money and it's because they all believe that this project can go somewhere, whether it gets into film festivals or it touches someone's life. And Jason and I are thankful for that everyday. I hope that we can dare to dream like Marketa did.

Appearance on other sites!

2007-12-10T18:52:00.001+09:00

Thank you to all of you who posted about us in your websites. We appreciate all of your support!

NewEnglandFilm.com - Dec. 2007

Harlow's Monkey - Nov. 19, 2007

Hosla.com

Transracial Korean Adoptee Nexus - Oct. 2007

UngratefulLittleBastard - July 24, 2007

Hope to see you at our Teaser Launch Party! Read below for details.

Teasers Launch Party

2007-12-06T08:29:00.000+09:00

Come to our party to watch the premiere of our teasers for "Going Home"! It will be held Thursday Dec. 13 from 6-10PM at Phoenix Landing, 512 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA.

Come watch two teasers, listen to original music featured in "Going Home" performed live, and talented Emerson students perform their own music.

We will also be selling T-Shirts featuring designs that represent different majors at Emerson at the event for $12/shirt. Check out the designs at the ThirdCat Store!

The event is 19+ with state issued photo ID/passport. Open to EVERYONE!

Suggested Donation of $2 to help with post production costs.

Directions to Phoenix Landing: Central Square T-Stop on Red Line.

Hope to see you there!!

Featured on NewEnglandFilm.com

2007-12-06T08:28:00.000+09:00

Our project is featured on NewEnglandFilm.com!! So exciting!

Check it out - www.newenglandfilm.com/news

We were on Good Morning Emerson!

2007-12-06T08:25:00.000+09:00

Check it out - we were on Good Morning Emerson again on Tuesday. It's is currently available via podcasting in iTunes, and will be on our website soon!

Good Morning Emerson is broadcast on The Emerson Channel and The Boston Neighborhood Network.

ThirdCat Lives on...

2007-10-31T10:11:00.000+09:00

I apologize that I've been MIA for a little while. Post Production has completely consumed my life. Editing is going extremely well though. Last Thursday, we completed our first rough cut which is even better than I thought it would be at this point.

There are three editors working on this film including myself. As an adoptee and the director of "Going Home," it's extremely important that this is done right. I've found that it's incredibly hard to separate myself from this "experience" and the "material" which were at first the same thing but have now become separate entities all together. It's good to have the clarity as an editor to properly see the story and content but there is a limit as to how far I can remove myself from the actual events this past summer.

It is now months after we returned from Seoul and it feels like I'm still there whenever I edit and watch the footage. It is constantly on my mind and is quite haunting.

With all of this said, "Going Home" is proving to be a successful adoption film but also a personal journey that still has not ended...

New Layout!

2007-10-15T09:39:00.001+09:00

We have a new layout for our blog! Hope you all like it, we changed it so that it matched our official website.

We are gradually getting closer and closer to finishing a rough cut of the film. And it's so exciting to see everything come together. It's amazing to be able to repeatedly view what we experienced this past year. (Jason and I were literally attached to a video camera, CONSTANTLY for probably around 6 months straight.)

Also if you have facebook, be sure to join our facebook group! Search us as: "ThirdCat Productions is GOING HOME".

Best,
Mikyung

Press Article Now Available Online

2007-10-08T07:52:00.000+09:00

The article is now available online at Emerson Today's website!

Click here to go directly to the article!

Thanks

Mikyung and Jason

Hot Off the Press!

2007-10-05T13:43:00.000+09:00

We have been featured on the front page of Emerson Today, a publication from the Office of Public Affairs. The newspaper is available all around the Emerson campus, so definitely check it out!

Emerson Today's website is: http://www.emerson.edu/emersontoday/

This issue hasn't been updated on the website just yet, but will be soon. So if you can't get a hardcopy be sure to check out the website.

Thanks for all your support!

Best,

Mikyung

Emerson Today Newspaper

2007-09-18T12:03:00.000+09:00

Hello!

Jason and I are meeting with Christopher Hennessy, the Editor of Emerson College Today, a newspaper published monthly by the Office of Public Affairs for an interview! We are very excited, as we hear this paper gets sent out to all alumni of Emerson College. This will be our first appearance in print media, so be sure to keep your eye out for it! I will post again when I know when the article will be published.

Also I'm not sure if I had mentioned this before - but we have been privileged with receiving the Torto Award from Emerson College, a $3000 grant for this documentary. Hooray!

Best,
Mikyung

Post Production Begins

2007-09-05T12:24:00.001+09:00

Sorry for being so out of touch!

Jason and I are both back in the states, and working on post production. As I am typing this, Jason and our editor Andrew Leven are behind me discussing a rough assembly of all the footage. I am so proud with everything that we filmed, and so excited to see it all come together!

- Mikyung

Last Day in Korea

2007-08-06T00:31:00.000+09:00

I can't believe our time in Korea is coming to an end. We all leave tomorrow night for our respective destinations. The past few days have been absolutely packed, very little sleep, lots of traveling, filming, and meeting many people. It has also been probably the most emotionally intense, at least for me, and probably Jason. We have pretty big news, but I'll let Jason write about it. Will write more soon!!

IKAA

2007-08-02T00:30:00.000+09:00

Today we went to the Korean Traditional Food Institute where Jason and I learned how to make Korean Rice Cakes (dduk/떡). It was so much fun, and it tasted delicious too (but everything was pretty much prepared for us, so don't expect us to make it for you!) and we learned a few interesting things about Korean digestion vs. Western digestion, according to the head chef.

Later that day, we went to the first IKAA gathering at the Gwan Mun Sa Temple. We had a wonderful meal, followed by a number of traditional Korean performances. I have seen and heard the dances and songs of so many other cultures, but from my memory I don't remember ever seeing a traditional Korean performance like tonight. I loved all the performances, but I must say my favorite was their closing number - the Dance of the Buddha, that recreates the birth of Buddha. It was beautiful.

Photo of the Day

An ordinary day for Jason and I on the subway.

Best,

Mikyung

Wol Mi Do

2007-08-01T00:36:00.000+09:00

We met Jason's birth mother for the second time yesterday. It was such a surreal experience. And so different because we weren't within an office space like the first time. It was much more personal, and for me it was just like hanging out with my boyfriend's birth mother for a day. I won't describe all that I felt because it was just so much that happened, but anyways the film will show that.

The longer I have been here, the more seriously I think about living in Korea for a year or so to study the language and get a part time job. I haven't even brought it up to my parents yet, but they'll be visiting Korea in a few days, so I'll tell them then. But it's always been kind of a touchy subject, for certain reasons, so we'll see..

And I apologize if I haven't been responsive to facebook messages or emails, I have read them all and it makes me so happy to know that all of you are reading this and thinking of us. It gives us the determination and will to make this documentary the best it can be, and encourages us to continue to update the blog, website, and photo album - which I did upload new photos to, but I messed up and uploaded it under another username. Does anyone know if it's possible to copy entire albums from one username to another? I would just re-upload it again, but it took me like an hour last time to look through all the photos between myself, AJ and Matt. But I welcome any suggestions, if not I will be updating it anyways but it is hard to find time.

Also check this out, another fellow blogger found our blog and wrote about our documentary -
Click Here

Photo of the day

Jason and I at the SuWon Fortress Palace

Best,

Mikyung

Second Meeting

2007-07-30T00:52:00.000+09:00

A few days ago, I met my birth mother!

I apologize for not updating the blog more often but it is hard for me to write about it when I'm not even sure what I am feeling myself. The whole experience has finally settled into my conscious state of mind and is no longer an indescribable experience but something that holds great meaning to me. My birth mother was a little on the quiet side and I think that this was due to shock and embarrassment. I greatly respect her strength for coming to meet me and to face her past.

About an hour after we met, my birth mother called Mikyung and asked how I felt. She still wasn't home and was still crying. In addition, she explained how she was completely overwhelmed but I think that there could not have been any other reaction. Fortunately, in my case, I had about a year to prepare myself for the experience but she had only a few days when she was notified by SWS that I was in Korea to meet her.

Tomorrow I am meeting with her for a second time. I am so happy that it seems as though she wants to know more about me and that she is willing to open up her heart up to me. She seems to care about me a great deal. I care about her as well and even realized that I somehow loved her. How can I love someone I don't even know.

I love it that my parents and birthmother met. It was amazing and surreal that all of us were in the same room. I will never forget it.

- Jason

Surprise Phone Call

2007-07-25T22:54:00.000+09:00

We went to a traditional Korean Folk Village today with Jason's parents and the whole crew (Larkin just arrived a few days ago). And it was so much fun to see what old Korea was like, and the entire village was very impressive. We stayed there for about 4 hours, and my only regret was that the last bus departed at 5pm - I could have walked around for another hour.

On the bus ride back, I unexpectedly received a phone call directly from Jason's birth mother. This was the second time she had called me, and both times her voice was soft, timid, and also quite sad. It is a strange feeling for me to be speaking directly in Korean with Jason's birth mother, but also a very privileged feeling and an honor to be able to understand and talk with her. She expressed to me many things, and most importantly that she wanted to see Jason again this weekend, if she could make the time (she just gave birth very recently and has to take care of her young newborn). So I really hope that we will see her again, and that this second meeting will be filled with laughter and with less tears.

- Mikyung

Birthmother

2007-07-25T00:38:00.000+09:00

Today I met my birthmother and my aunt at SWS in South Korea. I can't believe that it already happened. I have been waiting for over a year to meet her and have thought about this moment my entire life. It was extremely emotional but also strangely uplifting. I feel a certain kind of ease that I've never felt before and feel as though I have solved some sort of mystery about my life. I've never heard the saying / phrase "you look like your father or mother" or "we have the same face." Today I did. I think my birthmother was very overwhelmed and stunned by the meeting. It seemed to bring up a lot of feelings about her past that she seemed to have wanted to forget but I am impressed and touched that for me she was willing to come and meet me. In addition, my parents came and met her which was a very emotional event for everyone. All in all, I am thrilled and very happy that I was able to have the opportunity to meet her. This is and will be one of the most memorable days in my life. I will post more on this tomorrow...

- Jason

False Alarm

2007-07-20T00:31:00.000+09:00

Today I was suppose to meet my birth mother but was cancelled last minute. She was not feeling well and went to the hospital. I think she is doing well but is clearly taking it hard. We rescheduled to meet next tuesday which is great but is definitely dissapointing that I didn't meet her considering that nearly 12 hours ago we would have met.

At first I was upset to hear this news but I feel okay about it now and understand that she has other things going on in her life and that she is going through a lot of emotions as well. I respect her privacy and just hope that she is taking care of herself and her newly born boy / my half brother. I want to meet her but of course only if this is what she wants to. I'm feeling every emotion about meeting my birth mother but am mainly excited.

Everything in Korea is going great! I could not be happier about the production aspect of the documentary,

Instead of my meeting with my birth mother, we went to a Korean middle school which was amazing to say the least. I have never experienced anything like it. I felt like a psuedo celebrity. I will post more about this later...

- Jason

Meeting Birth Mother Tomorrow

2007-07-19T02:15:00.001+09:00

I don't know what to think right now. I can barely concentrate on anything. It just hit me that in 10 hours I will be meeting my birth mother. Even with this project in mind, I never thought that I would be here right now in Korea about to meet her. I don't know what to expect but I feel as though I am ready for anything. I don't regret anything that I've done and especially not during this journey. As one section of the journey ends, another is about to open. I still don't think that I am comprehending the magnitude of this monumental occasion. I'm filled with excitement and both happiness and sadness. I'm hoping that my birthmother will shed light on my past and about her history as well as my birthfather and sister.

Bottom line: I'm happy to be here and am incredibly grateful to everyone who has made this journey possible!!!

Wish me luck...

- Jason

Birth Family Update

2007-07-15T14:45:00.000+09:00

It's hard to believe that we're in Korea and have already started to adjust into the culture. It hasn't hit me yet that we're here actually in production which Mikyung and I have been planning for nearly a year.

The chances of finding my birth parents are higher than ever. On July 6, 2007, my birthday my adoption agency found my birthfather and also received a letter from my birth mother indicating that she wants to meet me. The journey of finding my birth family has been long, frustrating, and yet still remains exciting. To know one's own family and blood is something many take for granted but is something that adoptees struggle with every day of their lives. With that said, I am extremely happy and excited to be here but can only imagine what the rest of the trip has in store for me.

-Jason

Strange Good Fortune

2007-07-11T23:01:00.000+09:00

I've been in Korea for a little over a week now. Came here to make sure that everything was all set for Production before the crew arrives, which is in a few hours time! I'm so excited to see Jason, AJ, Matt and John all here in Korea, and Larkin will be joining us soon in two weeks.

Two days ago I so randomly met one of Korea's most famous cinematographers, Sung Jong Moo who works with Kim Ki Duk, and most recently shot "Time" and "Breath". With him was another Cinematographer and an Executive Producer. I ended up having dinner and mak gul lee (Korean rice wine) with them for four hours. It was quite an unbelievable experience. They told me that if I ever needed any help with the documentary to give them a call. I hope they meant that, because I will be calling them!!

The chances of meeting Jason's birth mother is very good, which is so amazing for Jason and the documentary. He recently received a second letter and even photos of his birth mom and sister. I haven't seen the photos yet, and I can not wait to see the resemblence between them!!

Love in ThirdCat

Mikyung

ThirdCat on Blogger!

2007-06-21T03:16:00.000+09:00

ThirdCat Productions now has a blog!

This is for more informal updates on the process of the documentary, on our personal thoughts and feelings about making this film.

I recently came back home to Hong Kong, and will begin some production here, gathering some BROLL shots of Hong Kong, and interactions and conversations with my family, on their thoughts about the documentary.

While we were both in NYC, we met with Hollee McGinnis, who opened our eyes and minds to what we should be prepared for in Korea, and with our amazing contact at Spence-Chapin who has been the driving force in contacting Jason's birth family.

Now that I've left NYC, it's posed a challenge that I underestimated - after constantly being with Jason, whenever there's been a need to film, we have worked as a determined team. Either I'll handle the camera and shoot him in his daily interactions or vice-versa, and we wouldn't have to worry about when or where or how we shot, because we trusted and relied on each other. But now that he's in NYC and I'm in Hong Kong, it's been a bit more challenging to film anything, especially as we act as camera operators but essentially we are the subjects as well.

Be sure to check out our official website: www.thirdcatproductions.com for more information about the documentary!

- Mikyung