D36 Alum Nam Holtz Releases Documentary Film

Nam Holtz, (Washburne Class of 1989), was adopted as a baby in South Korea and grew up with her adoptive family in Winnetka. As a student in The Winnetka Public Schools, Nam was involved in music, dance, and theater, which she recalls as “invaluable...a huge advantage for me.” After graduating from New Trier High School, Nam majored in dance and graduated cum laude from SUNY Purchase. From there, she had a successful musical theater career that included productions on Broadway, in Paris, Las Vegas, and London’s West End, as well as a National Tour.

As Nam parlayed her talents into on-camera acting, she was inspired to use filmmaking to learn more about her own story. In 2010, Nam traveled to Korea to begin production on a documentary film exploring the topic of adoption. Called Found in Korea, the documentary chronicles Nam’s journey and is currently in post-production. “My hope is that this film will be an opening for adoptees and their families to have discussions about feelings and issues surrounding adoption that are not every day conversation. Every adoptee’s story is similar, yet unique. I want to encourage adoptees to look at their own story and honor it on a new level...to celebrate the similarities between all of our stories, and the very specific differences,” says Nam. As for advice for aspiring young filmmakers, Nam encourages students to “Go for it! In this day of digital media, if you have the desire to make a film, start producing work.”