Korean adoptee feature film, “Isle Child” made its world premiere in San Francisco as a part of the Sf International Film Festival, where we caught the young director, Thomas Paul Kim. At only 24 years old set with support from Cj, Sundance, and HBO, he stands at the cusp of a prolific career ahead.

The film was based off of Kim’s own personal experience in Concord, Massachusetts, where he was one of few Asian Americans growing up. “In an age so hungry for love and belonging, you want to fit in, right? So I, for the longest time, tried to act like I was white – and so was Si.”

“Isle Child” revolves around a Korean adoptee of the same name, “Si”. Here, Si is “one of the boys.” In this white-majority town, Si plays baseball, talks shop about college, and is comfortably surrounded by his peers. His carefully-built suburban world rattles,...