A method for identifying multi-media assets from a multi-media collection, and the method implemented at least in part by a data processing system and comprising the steps of: receiving a search query, the search query, or a derivative thereof, including a possessive phrase, wherein the possessive phrase includes a possessor and a possession category; identifying a denoted object referred to by the possessive phrase using a predefined relationship database that establishes social relationships between objects; identifying one or more additional possessors of the denoted object using the predefined relationship database; generating one or more additional possessive phrases for the denoted objects relating the identified additional possessors to the denoted object; and identifying one or more multi-media assets from the multi-media collection containing the denoted object responsive to the one or more additional possessive phrases.