'Blue Bayou' Is a Story of an American Family at the Virtual KCET Cinema Series on Sept. 14
Q&A immediately following screening with director, writer and co-star of the film Justin Chon.
A moving and timely story of a uniquely American family fighting for their future, from award-winning writer/director Justin Chon. Antonio LeBlanc (Chon) is a Korean adoptee raised in a small town in the Louisiana bayou. Struggling to make a better life for his wife Kathy (Alicia Vikander) and daughter Jessie, Chon must confront ghosts of his past when he discovers that he could be deported from the only country he has ever called home.
Chon recently shared, "I have quite a few adoptee friends, and about five years ago, I started hearing through the community that this issue was taking place, where adoptees who were brought here by U.S. citizens as children were now adults and facing deportation. I thought that was absolutely shocking, because you would think that if the government allows a child to be brought overseas, they would be automatically granted citizenship, no matter what paperwork that isn't filed. Because they had no sort of say in it.
And then on further research, I found out that once you get a deportation order, it's almost impossible to overturn it. It was happening a lot, and I just felt it was very unjust. I couldn't imagine what it feels like to be adopted and already have these sort of thoughts on identity and where you're from and then ultimately have the place you call home also say they don't want to claim you. It must be psychologically quite damaging. So, my heart bled for this community, and I really wanted to shine a light on this issue."
Immediately following the screening, Deadline’s chief film critic Pete Hammond, who can also be seen on KCET’s Must See Movies, will moderate a Q&A with director, writer and co-star of the film Justin Chon.
The film screens on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. PDT. Only $10 per viewing link. Limited space available.