Korean adoptee Tanja Inwol’s feature doc Homesick comprises an examination of her personal journey growing up in a troubled Danish household.
It’s a subject that Danish producer Rikke Tambo Andersen (Tambo Film) considers both urgent and timeless, she tells BDE in advance of the Rough Pitches at this year’s DocsBarcelona Industry. “The film directly addresses a reckoning that is long overdue. Told from the adoptee’s perspective, it gives voice to experiences historically erased or side-lined,” she says.
Following the passing of her adoptive parents, Tanja Inwol deploys visuals, imagination and considerable writing skills to revisit her memories and peel back the intricate layers of transnational adoption.
Tambo Andersen describes the powerful introduction to the film: “The camera maintains a steady, intentional gaze on the stark yet striking landscapes of western Denmark — grey skies, cold waters, empty roads — establishing a tone of isolation and introspection. Carefully framed portraits of family members are contrasted with fragmented personal archives, family photographs, and staged visual interpretations that evoke memory and imagination. The Korean “absence” is expressed through dreamlike imagery and archival ghosts, giving form to what has been lost or erased.”
Director Inwol is well placed to engage the audience with her personal narrative, but she also possesses the focus to shed light on the issues, and take the adoption industry to task. Tambo Andersen tells us: “Tanja Inwol brings a rare combination of vulnerability, clarity and analytical precision to Homesick. She approaches her own story with emotional honesty and a critical, almost anthropological gaze — consistently interrogating the systems that shaped her life. She dares to hold both her adoptive family and the Danish, as well as the Korean nation accountable, while still approaching the subject matter with deep care and nuance.”
Quite a feat, and one that’s already been recognised with investment and backing. The project has support from the Danish broadcaster TV2, public funding bodies, and the team have also welcomed Korean producer Sona Jo, as well as Finnish producer Virpi Suutari (Euphoria Film).
A good director-producer bond can have a really positive impact on a film, especially alongside an empathetic co-producer, suggests Tambo Andersen. “Tanja and I have worked closely together since the beginning of her career, and our long-standing creative collaboration is one of the project’s key strengths. We’re also fortunate to have an experienced and dedicated co-producer, Sona Jo, who brings professional insight into the theme of adoption from a Korean perspective.”
And if a story needs to be told, Tambo Film never shy away from the controversial, she adds. “We’re not afraid to challenge dominant narratives, and Homesick is a clear expression of that ethos.”
Cinematically, Homesick blends vérité, stylized tableaux, layered sound design and a reflective voiceover. Tambo Andersen explains that, “the film offers an emotionally resonant and visually compelling experience — intimate, immersive, and quietly confrontational.”
The Impact campaign will be a central component within the film’s roll-out. “We are collaborating with adoptee rights organizations, researchers, and legal experts to ensure the film contributes meaningfully to the ongoing political discourse — particularly in relation to the Korean Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s investigation into international adoptions. The Commission’s findings, expected this autumn, may influence the film’s ending and will be a key factor in shaping our final impact and release strategy,” Tambo Andersen explains.
When the film is completed, the plan is to take it to where it can have an influence, and really make a difference. “The campaign will include targeted screenings with adoptees, legal scholars, policymakers, and media to amplify the voices often excluded from the adoption debate. While rooted in Tanja’s personal story, the aim is to shift the focus toward the structural injustices of transnational adoption — from the past to the present,” says Tambo Andersen.
At Docs Barcelona, Tambo Andersen is looking for feedback, and to connect with festivals, distributors and potential co-producers, to build long-terms partnerships from both artistic and advocacy perspectives.
Tambo Andersen signs off with an impassioned call to action. “We’re looking for collaborators who see the value in a film that dares to speak truth to power, and who want to help us bring Homesick to a wider international audience. It’s also an opportunity to expand our network for the impact campaign and to continue learning from others working at the intersection of personal narrative and systemic critique.”
