Synopsis
In 2024, South Korea released a drama film ‘My Name Is Loh Kiwan’ and is written and directed by Kim Hee-jin. The film is based on the 2019 novel ‘I Met Loh Kiwan’ by Cho Hae-jin. It looks into deeply emotional themes of survival and the displacing impact on a human. It focuses on a profoundly North Korean defector’s story who travels to Europe to seek political asylum but is faced with the brutal treatment and harsh realities. The film seeks to challenge the resolve of the asylum seeker and test humanity.
The protagonist is a young man named Loh Kiwan who is escaping from North Korea along with his mother. The two set out on a journey that takes them to China, but tragedy strikes when they get captured by authorities. His mother gets left behind and Kiwan continues alone to Belgium, a place he has no connections with and where he struggles to make himself understood. Hauled along with a suitcase and his mother’s last words of hope, he reaches Brussels to navigate a cold system that awaits him as a refugee and needs him to start the tedious process of claiming asylum.
Kiwan’s problems begin in Belgium, where he finds himself without a home, food, money, or assistance. Each one of his attempts to escape his current reality has failed him due to red tape and systems built to punish rather than assist. To add on to everything, Kiwan has to deal with language barriers, culture shock, and absolute loneliness. While trying to get by, Kiwan comes across Marie, a retired Belgian sportswoman dealing with her own sets of problems. Ex-Olympian shooter Marie has sunk into a dull emotional state and now lives numb due to her personal trauma.
Their meeting kindles an affection that neither of the two had expected. Marie begins to drop her guard after being fascinated with Kiwan’s sheer honesty and quiet strength. On the other hand, Kiwan begins to view Marie as a compassionate soul who, despite having far more privileged life circumstances, was equally lost and broken in her own way. They both embark on a new journey, but are forced to form an unstable yet strong bond built around silent misery and immense struggles.
Their pasts begin to resurface as they forge an uncertain connection. Kiwan struggles with the memories of his mother alongside the painful experiences of life in an authoritarian regime. Marie’s emotional scars are equally as painful, shaped by familial devastation and the nagging pressure to fulfill the expectations stemming from her past identity as an athlete. In the process, they cope with the amalgamation of loss, desire, and the struggle to make sense of existence in a fundamentally hostile and unpredictable world.
Regardless of their different languages and backgrounds, the two individuals begin to rely on one another. Kiwan gets a job, and Marie makes sure his basic needs for sleeping and eating are met. In return, he restores some sense of vitality to her life. Their bond solidifies in unusual ways: shared meals, soothing back-and-forth exchanges, and quiet companionship.
As Kiwan waits for his asylum case to be resolved, he reaches a critical juncture in his choice. Does he keep trying to navigate the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in front of him, or does he return to obscurity and abandon everything he wants out of life? For Marie, the choice is whether she is ready to dive completely into opening her heart once again. Ultimately, the film is not about a happy ending, but rather a representation of two individuals struggling to keep their hope alive.
Cast & Characters
Song Joong-ki as Loh Kiwan
Song Joong-ki gave a sensational and painfully gripping performance playing a character by the name Kiwan. He precisely delivered the character of Kiwan, who is more reserved than dramactic. Traditionally associated with intense action dramas, this time truely has him on screen in a quiet, emotionally deep role. Song Joong Ki delivrs greate compassion for survivors of refugee crises throughout the world by embodying Kiwan who seems weak but actually possesses unyielding will and great inner strength.
Choi Sung-eun as Marie
Choi Sung-eun interprets the character of Marie with depth. Marie is a multi-faceted woman who is emotionally withdrawn while being quietly vulnerable. Her dynamic with Song Joong-ki captures both the nuances and greater complexities of their relationship, making their connection feel real and organic.
Kim Sung-ryung as Ok-hee
Flashbacks give us Kiwan’s mother, Kim Sung-ryung, who features in important emotional sequences. Her performance adds emotional weight to the film and reinforces Kiwan’s motivations as well as his inner conflict.
Seo Hyun-woo as Ri Eun-cheol
Kiwans’ uncle offers a brief but insightful glimpse into the family network that continues to influence Kiwan’s choices.
Supporting cast
Marie’s parents, who run a bar and become friends with Kiwan, along with many other immigrants and locals of Brussels, serve to enrich the narrative and portray alienation, community, and human compassion.
Direction and Themes
As per the writer and director Kim Hee-jin, the film adopts a naturalistic style, with the camera relying on minimalistic and static movement with a slow pace that reflects the character’s emotional state. The combination of silence and stillness serves to deliver much of the film’s emotional impact. Rather than using melodrama, the narrative is driven by the need for emotional realism.
A pivotal theme explored in the film is the notion of displacement, which transcends mere physical separation to include emotional and existential separation. Both Kiwan and Marie are people who do not feel at home anywhere in the world. Displacement for Kiwan is literal and geopolitical in nature. For Marie, it is more internal and psychological. The film, through their relationship, seeks to answer the question of how love and understanding can manifest in even the harshest conditions.
Other key themes include the disturbing portrait of asylum seekers’ bureaucratic red tape, the stripping of identity and humanity in systems designed to “deal with” individuals, and the unrelenting need for dignity, belonging, and human contact. The film is more than a story about refugees; it tells the story of all of humanity.
Reception
My Name Is Loh Kiwan has been well received for its performing and the story that is told through it. Many in the audiences appreciated Song Joong-ki’s portrayal of a quiet and emotionally rich character that is different from his previous roles, as well as Choi Sung-eun’s stellar performance. Critics praised the slow pace and contemplative nature of the film, stating that while it might not cater to viewers who prefer fast-paced action, it is incredibly moving on an emotional level.
The film’s subtle social critique and emphasis on character-focused narrative were also highlighted as merits. Some viewers may see it as ambiguous or lackluster, but the film retains its emotional impact, making one’s mind wonder and explore.
Conclusion
My Name Is Loh Kiwan has powerful emotional themes interwoven within the narrative of the film. Unlike other films that use dramatization and suspense, the film succeeds in making its audience feel deeply through meticulous direction, honest performances, and a unique regard for the core of the film. Moreover, the film mirrors themes of the indomitable human spirit and profound connection formed in unusual surroundings.
In addition, it draws attention to the importance of socially aware films with emotional depth and humanistic ideas. The movie showcases the story of not just a man seeking legal acknowledgment, but rather the muted yet universal journeys we undergo in our lives to find acceptance, understanding, and a place to call home.
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