Between Goodbyes is a tender and deeply personal documentary that explores the complexities of identity, belonging, and reconciliation through the story of Mieke, a queer Korean adoptee raised in the Netherlands, and her birth mother, Okgyun, who was forced to give her up under South Korea’s strict one-child policy, cultural stigma, and economic hardship.

Six years after a long-awaited and emotionally charged reunion, Mieke returns to Seoul with her wife to celebrate their marriage — a joyful occasion shadowed by decades of separation and unresolved pain. As mother and daughter attempt to bridge the chasm of time, culture, and loss, they confront the emotional aftermath of international adoption.

Set against the backdrop of a historical legacy that saw over 200,000 Korean children adopted overseas between 1950 and 2020, Between Goodbyes offers a raw, intimate look at the echoes of this transnational phenomenon. Directed by Jota Mun — a Korean adoptee herself — and executive produced by Alex Gibney, the film brings a rare authenticity and vulnerability to the screen in this poignant meditation on what it means to reconnect, to forgive, and to redefine family across borders.