Coming to You

Coming to You
너에게 가는 길
Directed byByun Gyuri
Written byByun Gyuri
Produced byLee Hyuksang
Nungcool
Her Yoon-soo
StarringEunae "Nabi" Jeong
Sunhwa "Vivian" Kang
Hankyeol Lee
Yejoon Joung
CinematographyByun Gyuri
Han Younghee
Kim Jung-geun
Kim Hyoung-ju
Edited byKim Il-rhan
Distributed byFilm Movement (international)
Release date
Running time
93 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean

Coming to You (Korean: 너에게 가는 길) is a 2021 South Korean documentary film written and directed by Byun Gyuri. The film follows two South Korean mothers whose children come out as transgender and gay, respectively, and documents their responses, family relationships, and later involvement in LGBTQ+ advocacy. It was produced by PINKS, an influential queer feminist media group based in South Korea and distributed internationally by Film Movement.

The film won the Documentary Award and received a Special Mention in the Korean Competition at the 22nd Jeonju International Film Festival (2021),[1] and also won the Brave New Docs Award at the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival.[2]

Synopsis

Coming to You follows two South Korean mothers: Nabi (Eunae Jeong), a veteran firefighter and divorced single mother, and Vivian (Sunhwa Kang), a flight attendant. Nabi's child Hankyeol (they/them) comes out as transgender, telling Nabi that they want to have their breasts removed. Vivian receives a letter from her son Yejoon, in which he comes out as gay; unable to face his parents' reaction in person, he later moves to Canada to seek greater freedom and distance from social stigma surrounding LGBTQ+ identities in South Korea.[3]

Both mothers initially struggle to comprehend the news. Director Byun stays largely behind the camera, allowing the subjects' own voices to carry the narrative as both mothers work through feelings of confusion, loss, and gradual understanding.

Over the course of the documentary — which spans several years — Nabi and Vivian move from struggling to accept their children's identities to becoming active members of Parents, Families and Allies of LGBTAIQ+ People in Korea (PFLAG Korea). The film captures milestones including medical consultations, LGBTQ+ marches, and the bureaucratic and social obstacles the families face.[4]

Background and context

South Korea does not legally recognize same-sex marriage.[5] The country also lacks a comprehensive anti-discrimination law protecting LGBTQ+ and sexual minorities, though a broad coalition of groups have been organizing to pass such legislation.[6] Against this backdrop, Coming to You documents the transformation of two mothers as they move from initially uninformed parents to participants in LGBTQ+ advocacy.

Subjects

SubjectRole
Eunae "Nabi" JeongHerself; mother of Hankyeol; veteran firefighter
Sunhwa "Vivian" KangHerself; mother of Yejoon; flight attendant
HankyeolThemselves; Nabi's transgender child
YejoonHimself; Vivian's gay son
Insun KwakHerself
Dongryoul "Jimmy" JoungHimself
Seongjun NamHimself

Reception

Coming to You received critical attention for its portrayal of family acceptance and LGBTQ+ advocacy in South Korea. Bradley Gibson of Film Threat described the documentary as giving viewers a hard look at LGBTQ+ life in a society with narrow cultural definitions of gender and relationships,[7] while Adriana Rosati of Asian Movie Pulse described it as an inspiring account of changing attitudes toward respect, acceptance, and happiness.[8]

The film streamed on Netflix Korea for a limited time and has been available on Kanopy in the United States.[9]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryResult
202122nd Jeonju International Film FestivalDocumentary AwardWon
202122nd Jeonju International Film FestivalSpecial Mention, Korean CompetitionWon
2021DMZ International Documentary Film FestivalBrave New Docs AwardWon

Distribution

Coming to You had its world premiere at the Jeonju International Film Festival on April 29, 2021. It subsequently screened at the Frameline46 LGBTQ+ Film Festival in San Francisco in 2022. The film was acquired for international distribution by Film Movement and released via video on demand and digital platforms on March 22, 2024.[10] Video Librarian described the film as appropriate for LGBTQIA+ documentary, Asian Studies, and Korean culture collections.[11]

In South Korea, the film was released theatrically across 56 screens, accumulating 19,042 admissions and a gross of US$109,545.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Women and Documentaries Dominate as Prizewinners at Jeonju Film Festival". Variety. 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  2. ↑ "Coming to You". Film Movement Plus. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  3. ↑ "Documentary Review: Coming to You (2021) by Gyuri Byun". Asian Movie Pulse. 2024-03-26. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  4. ↑ "Coming to You". Frameline46. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  5. ↑ "South Korea: Supreme Court ruling a historic victory for same-sex couples". Amnesty International. 2024-07-18. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  6. ↑ "South Korea's Supreme Court upholds same-sex ruling in historic LGBTQ victory". UPI. 2024-07-18. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  7. ↑ Gibson, Bradley (2024-03-21). "Coming to You | Film Threat". filmthreat.com. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
  8. ↑ Rosati, Adriana (2024-03-26). "Documentary Review: Coming to You (2021) by Gyuri Byun". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
  9. ↑ "Coming to You on Kanopy". www.kanopy.com. Retrieved 2026-06-12.
  10. ↑ "Coming to You". Film Movement. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
  11. ↑ Zimmerman, J. (2024-05-20). "Coming to You". videolibrarian.com. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
  12. ↑ "Coming to you (2021)". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
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