Approved for Adoption (2012)

In the sprawling metropolis of Seoul, a little orphan named Jung is discovered wandering alone by a kind-hearted policeman. Adopted by a Belgian family, he finds himself abruptly transplanted into Walloon Brabant, a world far removed from his native Korean streets. His only anchor in this sea of strangeness is a bottle of Coca-Cola, a familiar touchstone in his new, disorienting reality. As he navigates his way through life with his white catholic family, an authoritative mother, a tender father, and four siblings, he grapples with a profound identity crisis. Is he Belgian, Korean, or something else altogether? Now a talented cartoonist at the age of 42, Jung's civil status belies his true age. For him, his life truly began at five, when he was found on those Seoul streets. One amongst the 200,000 adopted Koreans scattered around the globe, he decides to journey back to his ancestral homeland. Armed with a desire to breathe the air of his birth country, tread upon its sacred grounds, and perhaps uncover traces of his biological mother, Jung embarks on this pilgrimage of self-discovery. This voyage, documented in real-life and animated in his memories, oscillates between Europe and Asia, between adoption and birth, between creation and memory. As Jung grapples with his roots, his identity, and the notion of home, his life unfolds like a coin spinning on its edge - forever caught between two worlds, forever 'Approved for Adoption'.

Approved for Adoption is an animation movie featuring William Coryn and directed by Laurent Boileau.

Approved for Adoption is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy.

It is also possible to buy Approved for Adoption on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu and YouTube.