Synopsis
My Name Is Loh Kiwan is a South Korean drama film released in 2024, and it captures real-life emotions. This movie is based on I Met Loh Kiwan, the 2019 novel by Cho Hae-Jin. The book portrays the heart-wrenching story of Loh Kiwan, a North Korean defector, who wishes to seek political asylum in Belgium. After escaping from his home country, he must rebuild his life from scratch. Alone in the foreign land after losing his mother, Kiwan deals not only with the European refugee system but also his internal trauma and an absolute void of meaning in life.
After Kiwan manages to escape North Korea with his ailing mother, he is left to watch her die shortly after they reach Belgium. After losing all support, he is left to fend for himself at the margins of society, awaiting his refugee status. His social isolation, combined with deep cultural differences, fuels the lack of legal recognition he so desperately seeks.
Kiwan’s emotional and bureaucratic struggles become even more complex after he encounters Marie, a Belgium ex-Olympian marksman living with deep disillusionment. Marie is also fighting her own wars, having lost contact with her family, weighed down with perpetual guilt, and going nowhere. A very fragile but a very important bond starts to grow between the two, granting them at least some level of support, warmth, and healing amid the chaos of skeletal isolation.
The film, through this connection, explores the fundamental suffering of the human existence; the urge to connect, the burning sensation of displacement, and the shattered pieces of life needing sharp resilience to help rebuild.
Cast and Characters
Song Joong-ki in the role of Loh Kiwan showcases his unparalleled talent through a tempered but deeply layered performance imbued with loss, confusion, and grief. Song has proven his charisma in several other roles, however here, Kiwan needs portrayal of calm and vulnerability, which becomes the film’s forte.
With a sense of being consumed by guilt and the feeling of lack of direction, Marie is portrayed by Choi Sung-eun who rises to the occasion. Balancing rage with tenderness, Sung-eun’s compassionate performance captures the emotionally charged fantasy that is her relationship with Kiwan.
As Lee Youn-sung, Jo Han-chul is Marie’s estranged father who imbues her fragmented character arc with unresolved emotional depth stemming from her crudely mended relationships.
Kim Sung-ryung takes on the role of Ok-hee, Kiwan’s mother. While she might not have a lot of screen time, she definitely aids Kiwan as the emotional anchor for the character, helping him navigate what morals to stand by.
Seo Hyun-woo plays the role of Kiwan’s uncle, Ri Eun-cheol. The only familial connection that Kiwan has, his relation to him acts as a lifeline to his past in North Korea.
Lee Sang-hee acts as Seon-ju, a Chinese-Korean immigrant residing in Belgium. She happens to be one of the few people that shows Kiwan kindness. Her portrayal, though understated, demonstrates the complex support systems that exist within marginalized populations.
Lee Il-hwa plays Jeong-ju, Marie’s mother. She adds to the already fragmented family that mirrors Kiwan’s struggle with finding somewhere to call home.
Direction and Production
The film is directed and written by Kim Hee-jin. The movie provides a significant perspective on the socially aware narratives emerging in Korean cinema. Focusing on themes of emotional realism, Kim approaches this story as a slow burn, deeply reflective and contemplative.
Yong Film and HighZium Studio co-produced the film, which was distributed globally by Netflix. The cinematography captures the stark, grey streets of Belgium and the raw intimacy of human emotions beautifully. It employs long silences and a slow, deliberate pace that elicits deep feelings of loneliness, fragility, hope, and exile. The film runs for approximately 133 minutes, providing the story the space it needs to unfold at a contemplative pace.
The film is more immersive in portraying the life of a displaced Korean immigrant through Kiwan with the use of multilingual dialogue in Korean, French, English, and Chinese.
Themes and Analysis
Identity and Belonging
The film poses a poignant question: Who am I when I have lost everything? Kiwan carries a name from his past, which becomes a symbol of one’s struggle to preserve identity in displacement. The story shows how the modern fight for humane existence entails existential battles for recognition. His remaining efforts to gain asylum present not only administrative burdens, but rather boundless existential struggles.
Displacement and Alienation
The story draws a stark and sobering painting of the refugee experience. Kiwan’s journey includes the interplay of social invisibility accompanied by racial prejudice, language barriers, rigid bureaucracies, and overall a lack of compassion. The unique experiences of Kiwan exemplify the painful experience of alienation enveloping today’s asylum seekers.
Emotional Paralysis and Healing
Marie’s character denotes emotional paralysis and the confounding nature of transcending trauma. The portrayal of her relationship with Kiwan is not overly romantic; rather, it depicts a bond between two fractured beings that are trying to find reasons to persevere.
Motherhood and Legacy
Despite being absent for a good part of the film, Kiwan’s mother plays an integral role. Sh her son to live a free life is the driving wish she dotes on her son. This guiding line becomes a testament to his ethical resolve. Her memory is a mix of haunting and sacred, defining his thoughts.
Interpersonal Connection
The film’s fundamental connection is the strength of human interactions that help heal emotional scars. Kiwan and Marie extend aid to one another in simple ways–sharing a meal, sitting quietly together, encouraging words–which gradually helps them find meaning and renew their hope.
Critical Reception
My Name Is Loh Kiwan was received with mixed to positive sentiments by both critics and the general public. Commentators focused on the film’s deep thematic exploration, character-driven plot, and subtle-though-emotional performances. Song Joong-ki’s portrayal of the lead character was commended for its emotional depth and fragility.
Some critics pointed out that the pacing was slow as the film weaved romance with political drama regarding the plot. Nonetheless, most noted its emotive sincerity along with its social relevance as compelling. The film also gained attention in the domestic award circuits as Lee Sang-hee received acclaim for her supporting role.
Conclusion
In “My Name Is Loh Kiwan,” the film is neither loud nor overly extravagant. Instead, it is a deeply compelling portrayal of exile, love, and the will to survive. It tackles pressing global issues like immigration, identity, and cultural blending through deeply personal narratives while maintaining the focus on the powerful storytelling and character development.
For those willing to dive into a slow-burning emotional arc, the film explores reconstruction after loss in a unique light. It challenges the audience not just to empathize with Loh Kiwan’s journey, but to emotionally embrace it, instilling the humanity within individuals that the world often ignores.
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