Asian Pop-Up Cinema x Sorry Not Sorry Shorts Features

Abandoned Adopted Here

United Kingdom | Documentary | 2016 | 39 minutes | English

Director: Lucy Sheen

SYNOPSIS

A British-born Asian filmmaker, Lucy Sheen, initiated an investigation to the “Hong Kong Project,” intending to reveal the misery of her identity and heritage. This project was launched between late 1950s to the early 1960s, one hundred and six Hong Kong foundlings, including Lucy herself, were brought to the UK as transracial adoptees. 

Identity, for the majority of people in the UK this is something which is taken for granted. One’s identity it’s not something that needs to be questioned, or doubted. For most UK citizens they see themselves reflected through the eyes and faces of their parents, siblings and the wider society; on TV, in the Cinema or on stage. But what if you aren’t? What if you grew up there was no one else that looked like you? You were the only one that was different, even within your “own family.” What then? 

This documentary looks at identity, the idea of family, of belonging and transracial adoption. What was it like to grow up as a transracial adoptee in pre-multicultural 60s UK? What does it mean if anything to be British-Chinese, in 2015 was there such a thing? And what if anything is the true legacy of being a transracial adoptee in a white western society?

Online Screening

October 3 - 9, 2022
@ eventive.org

Lucy Sheen

Lucy is an actor of forty years experience, a published playwright, poet, and director. She is of East and Southeast Asian heritage. Her recent TV appearances include Casualty, Silent Witness, Witcher 2, Shadow and Bone, Call The Midwife, etc. Abandoned Adopted Here was her debut as a Producer/Director/Writer and camerawoman, where she stepped behind the camera for the first time. She has since directed both stage and screen works including Go Back Home! as an experimental short and Fear and Misery of the Third Reich for stage.