Il mio nome è Loh Kiwan (2024)

Un film di alto livello, per significato, trama, sceneggiatura e recitazione

Che dire, un piccolo gioiello. Aspettavo da tantol'uscita di questo film, sia per la presenza di uno dei miei attori preferiti - Song Joong ki - sia per la trama che vedeva il protagonista in fuga dalla Corea del Nord. Lo spaccato della vita di Loh Kiwan in Corea del Nord si inserisce come flashback poco dopo il suo arrivo a Bruxelles. Ciò che lo muove è esclusivamente l'istinto di sopravvivenza e la determinazione a farlo al meglio delle sue possibilità (passaggio fondamentale, perchè disposto a rinunciare ai propri valori solo quando ha esaurito tutte le alternative possibili). Loh Kiwan si lascia la Corea del Nord alle spalle, la fuga riuscita ha il sapore della salvezza, ma la realtà si dimostra subito ben diversa: l'accoglienza è solo di nome, la burocrazia contorta è insensibile quanto il trattamento riservato ai nuovi arrivati. Lo osserviamo quindi annaspare mentre la sua situazione volge sempre più in miseria, e paradossalmente il ricordo del giorno del suo compleanno, mentre gustava un piatto in compagnia della madre, benché prigioniero del proprio Paese, sembra preferibile allo stato di totale abbandono e degrado in cui versa ora che si trova in uno Stato dove per assurdo ha sede la Corte europea dei diritti dell'uomo. Un paradosso che stride e risalta in modo netto e inequivocabile. L'unico su cui può contare resta sé stesso: non la Corea del Nord, non le istituzioni belghe, e nemmeno le persone con le quali interagisce, come ad esempio la collega di lavoro alla quale si affida, ma che a sua volta si troverà nella condizione di non poterlo aiutare, suo malgrado. E' una guerra tra poveri, un meccanismo che lui disinnesca nel momento in cui si mette in gioco per Marie. Il finale è abbastanza prevedibile, ma sarebbe mancato un messaggio di speranza, se si fosse optato per altre soluzioni. Il passaggio a mio avviso più bello è quando lui lascia il Belgio, rendendosi davvero "libero" per la prima volta in vita sua. Perchè di fatto, benché la fuga dalla Corea del Nord avesse come obiettivo conseguente la possibilità di poter rimanere di diritto a Bruxelles, questo diritto si rivela al tempo stesso ancora una prigione: non può lasciare la Corea perchè contro la legge, ma sempre la legge lo tiene sotto scacco in Belgio, perchè andarsene equivale a rinunciare allo status di rifugiato. E' nel diritto ad abbandonare un posto, che sia la Corea, il Belgio o qualsiasi altro luogo, che risiede il concetto profondo di libertà sul quale ruota l'intero film. Passando alla recitazione, un'ottima prova per Song Joong Ki: è un attore di grande carisma e fascino, che ha avuto modo di dimostrare come sa brillare rivestendo ruoli con queste caratteristiche (Vincenzo, tanto per citarne uno), ma che in Loh Kiwan si mette veramente alla prova, trasandato nell'aspetto - mi sfugge il perchè dei nei disposti quasi come una costellazione sul volto - e senza quella forza fisica e agilità che ci ha abituato a vedere in altri suoi lavori. La forza del personaggio è tutta interiore, un misto di determinazione e forza di volontà che lo fanno andare avanti, sempre e comunque. Per quanto io lo preferisca quando interpreta un altro tipo di personaggi, non posso non riconoscere che in questo caso, proprio perchè lontano anni luce dai ruoli che sappiamo gli riescono alla perfezione, la sua recitazione acquisisce per assurdo un valore aggiunto. Un film da non perdere. Davvero.

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Incredibly Fantastic ! EMOTIONAL, EVOCATIVE and POIGNANTE !!!

ABSOLUTELY THE BEST MOVIE OF 2024 !!!

My Name Is Loh Kiwan is an emotional rollercoaster romantic thriller that takes you on a thrill-filled journey in Belgium. The story runs smoothly from sadness to action-romance-beyond realism the harsh reality of refugees. The plot is well-paced, with the main characters developing progressively the dark tone of rom element keeps the audience entertained. Every one character's actions are legitimate and dependable on eachother, running with Loh Kiwan and Marie story, it represents story between Father-daughter, Mother-son. My Name is Loh Kiwan carries a wide range of all genres that can be really liked by anyone ( watchers). The cast of every character truly symbolizes their specific roles, delivering how the characters feel to life. Loh Kiwan triggers an indication on other cinematic brilliant works of the Korean film industry.

[ 10/10 !!!! ]

Outstanding Soundtrack, top quality Cinematography (Loh Kiwan Close-up shots are good) Visually amazing every scene by setting dark tone; the film displays beautiful atmospheres that reflect each character's existential experience.

[ SONG JOONG-KI ]

Song Joong-ki's physical appearance conversion, and emotionally charged makeover are certainly the film's standout paths. His physical appearance is the centerpiece that allows ourselves to emotionally. engage with the story in a deeper way. He again shown the versatility of his acting with this movie. Giving a chance to Debute director is really a good challenge. He took the challenge and deleveried his acting in new way proficiently. Song Joong-ki as Kiwan has won the hearts of the audience. His versatility is beyond words and after you’ve seen his other projects, it is proved how easily he molds himself as per the requirements of his role.

[ LEAD ACTORS ]

Loh Ki-wan's transformation from at risk to strength is prominent, while Marie's struggles with addictions and issues with her family throw depth to her character. Their on-screen chemistry surpasses geographical boundaries, and their love story narrates overwhelming feeling of mutual suffering and redemption that connects to watchers. As i expected the climax made me cry, especially Choi Sung Eun acting like suffering from outside circumstances and dealing with her own emotions Loh Kiwan feelings will make everyone emotional. And Song Joong-ki classic in climax leave good impression on his character development.

[ DIRECTION - WRITTING ]

Debute movie of Director Kim Hee-jin, she utilised her cast perfectly within the small looking big story, i really appreciate her work of Loh Kiwan, because it's her first movie and cast like Song Joong-ki Choi Sung Eun so I doubted there's a some pressure on her but after watching the movie I understand I was worng.
She carried masterfully every scene. Although it's an adaptation the movie writer brilliantly delivered the script with heart touching lines. Loh Kiwan standout with unique mix of traditional story telling with amazing scenes that make you enjoy and emotional feel in every moment.The performances of supporting actors such as Lee Sang-hee, Kim Sung-ryeong, and Cho Han-chul are also excellent.

[ Finally ]
South Korean Film makers never fail to deliver a movie from Intense battles to emotional tales, and western entertainment media appreciate Korean Film Makers as " South Korea is a goldmine of original ideas and storytelling talents ". And we can saw it from Loh Kiwan.

Definitely one of the most memorable films I've seen. This movie may inspire, sometimes horrify, or send you into an existential crisis, but it will make you think about something new by the time you finish it. Despite its dark underlying themes, the film ultimately delivers an appealing message of hope and endurance, leaving viewers with a sense of satisfaction and emotional ride..



brought by -- Shinnosuke_Lee

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I’m sorry but I don’t share the enthousiasm

First of all, I’m not an SJK fan but I’m not a hater either - I don’t hate people, except maybe for a few world leaders at the moment :-(. I’m neutral where he is concerned.
This film just didn’t strike an emotional chord with me.
It all looked a bit amateurish to me. Maybe because of the sets and because the “Belgian” scenes were shot in Budapest. Brussels has a very different vibe than Budapest. The last scenes at the airport, sorry but that was so obvious that it was a set. Also, in official government buildings in Brussels, everything is always bilingual in French AND Dutch. So here, a bit more research would have helped. The gangster scene was just laughable and the European gangsters very stereotyped.
Storywise, too many topics addressed without really going deeper into them (reading further from here means SPOILERS).
But what bothers me most of all is: how on earth would he have obtained refugee status when he ran out of his own court case! Most of the time I got the feeling that I was watching a KBS K-drama instead of a movie, because of the sets that were used and some topics that were apparently solved so easily in the end (like Marie’s drug habit). Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have anything against KBS K-dramas, because they don’t pretend to be more than they are, viz. a daily moment of escapism and guilty pleasure. And to me that is what this film (or the creators) do, they pretend to be more than they are. If they wanted to make a human interest film, they should have restricted the topics to the refugee theme and the love story. The themes of drug habit, euthanasia, the gangster circle Marie was caught up in… it all felt like topics piled on the heap. So sorry but overall the film felt unrealistic and immature to me.

I rated the music because you have to but I didn’t pay attention to it honestly.

The good thing about it all is that I definitely want to read the book now. From the synopsis I have read, I think that is going to be far more interesting and realistic.

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A well-told story, wholesome, and beautifully acted by all cast.

A North Korean defector, Loh Kiwan, was struggling to get a refugee status in Belgium and so, at risk of being deported. He also got into a lot of troubles being a foreigner in a new neighborhood. Through trials and tribulations, is there a happy ending for Kiwan?

It was quite an emotional watch. The struggle to survive, with the fear of being deported. What happened was sadly realistic in some cases; the unfair & frustrating bureaucracy some migrants have to go through to live normally. No personal experience, but I know a bit about this from a few people in real life, those who migrated due to various reasons and struggled for their residence permit.

The dialogues were good and to the point. I like the impactful moments when the scenes shift between past and present to explain the context. Kiwan is such a nice guy, I like his character for how he responds to kindness despite his desperate situation, which got me rooting for him. Few unfortunate events he faced in society maybe slightly too dramatic, but not that it gets annoying. Kudos for everyone’s performance, especially Song Joong Ki, WHO? A few minutes going in, I see Song Joong Ki no more, he really disappeared into Loh Kiwan.

- Mar 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Its a emotion driven story

this is a beautifully written story describing the life of a immigrant. Song joong ki 's performance was brilliant, choi sung eun was also good.

The first part of the story was brilliant , the things made sense, and the pacing, progression everything was amazing , but in the second part there were a few noticeable issues

one being the whole romance between characters, it felt a bit forced and not very natural.
(they went from being just acquaintances to lovers a bit too fast and a bit too weirdly ) iykyk

secondly. the pacing was weird in second half

but that is with problems

there were many good parts of the story too, the dialogue, screenplay, cinematography all were amazing they managed to capture the struggles and hardships of a guy in an unknown place with nowhere to go . Even the struggles and hardships of Marie were also nicely delivered .

If you can overlook the above-mentioned issues this movie is amazing and yes this is a tearjerker so take some tissues with you

ps. all the scenes of Kiwan and his mother are so good, everything about them was perfect , how without much of dialouges they managed to leave a great impact in the story I can just applaud them .

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not Brussels, not the procedure for refugees

I'm not really sure what the intention of this movie was.
First, for anyone located in Europe who has been in and knows different major cities, it's immediately visible that they did not shoot this movie in Brussels. I meanwhile found out it was Budapest. Very different city and vibes, it's just weird. I guess it would be like Euopreans would shoot a movie that is supposed to take place in Seoul and they instead shoot it in Thailand? Why?

Next thing, apart from me just knowing that (as basic general knowledge) I even rechecked it: if you arrive as a refugee in Brussels, yes, then you have to fill in an applications, you will get an interpreter who helps you through these paper basics and then? - you will not just get send out to the streets to live rough, eat mouldy food out of dustbins, sleep in dirty public toilets and as the interpreter said in the movie you 'just have to hang in there for a year' until any kind of decison is made. That's just nonsense. I will quote this now from the official website, it says there: 'when the applicant has made his application for international protection, he can ask Fedasil for accomodation in a reception center, material help, as well as social, legal and medical guidance. There are about 50 reception centers in Belgium. They are run either by Fedasil or partners like the Red Cross.These centers are open centers and each of them offers the same service for new arrivals: accomodation, guidance, support in daily life.'

So what exactly was all that storyline of the main character stumbling wet and hurt and hungry and dirty through suppossed (but not) Brussels, only meeting criminals who beat him up, steal from him and that's it? And the movie is visibly set in the year 2023?

Also the female lead character was totally unrealistic. If you live a rough and drug-ridden life in these kind of circles, you do not have full shiny wavy fresh washed hair and a clear-skinned flawless face. People who (have to) live like that look veeeery different. Also there is no way she is totally addcited to h and whatever else from that pimp guy, and then all of a sudden she isn't and works at a nice beach resort in the last scene. And I could list at least 10 more rather nonsensical things, I don't even know where to start and end here.

So, wow, I was actually looking forward to this movie as the story sounded interesting but whoever made ths movie totally ruined it.

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keeps you on your toes, i promise. heartwrenching acting.

blue looks good on you. happiness looks good on you.

a realistic approach to the life of refugees.

kiwan, you made it. marie, you made it

this movie, i just have to give it a 5/5. my heart genuinely couldn't stop grieving something in the last 30 minutes. it felt so, so real. i'm glad for them, for all of them who managed to grasp onto the happiness they deserves, im glad.

the actors. god, the actors. joongki and sungeun didnt disappoint. no one who didn't watch the movie would understand what i mean by this. everytime they cried, you'll find yourself tearing up, or your throat hurting. it can't be helped. the actor of marie's father, hanchul, and the actresses who played kiwan's mother and the comrade from that factory, all of these actors, give them their due! they gave it their all, and my heart clenched with it.

my affection for the characters grew as the story went on. the last thirty minutes will have you pushing a tissue to your eyes. my throat still hurts.

the story itself. i loved it. to each, their own opinions about it, but me personally, i loved it. it was directed so beautifully, and the writer, the writer. i have no words. some of the dialogues had me bad too.

everything was perfect. i hope everyone gives it a go with an open mind.

i can't explain how many times during the movie i felt hurt that this is the reality for some.

an amazing movie. easy 5/5.

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My Name is Loh Kiwan: A Heartfelt Journey of Hope and Identity

Released in March 2024, "My Name is Loh Kiwan" is a poignant drama film that navigates the complexities of seeking asylum through the lens of Loh Ki-wan, a North Korean defector grappling with life in Belgium. Played with remarkable depth by Song Joong-ki, Ki-wan confronts the unfamiliarity of customs, language barriers, and the bureaucratic labyrinth of refugee status. The film transcends a mere portrayal of cultural adaptation, weaving a tapestry of emotions as Ki-wan yearns for a new life while cherishing the memories of his homeland.

Writer and director Kim Hee-jin masterfully crafts a narrative that resonates on multiple levels. Beyond Ki-wan's individual struggles, the film sheds light on the broader societal challenges faced by refugees. The emotional toll of displacement, the anxieties of navigating an unfamiliar legal system, and the longing for acceptance in a new community are depicted with sensitivity and nuance, prompting viewers to contemplate the human cost of political and societal divisions.

Ki-wan's journey is not one of solitude. His path unexpectedly intersects with Marie, a Korean woman residing in Belgium, portrayed with compelling complexity by Choi Sung-eun. Their contrasting perspectives - Ki-wan's hopeful pursuit of a future and Marie's struggle to overcome past traumas - create a captivating dynamic that fuels the narrative. Through their interactions, a unique bond blossoms, offering each character a chance to find solace and rediscover their strength.

The film's emotional core lies in its unwavering honesty. It doesn't shy away from depicting the harsh realities faced by refugees, showcasing the challenges of adapting to new cultural norms and the constant fight for basic rights. The performances by Song Joong-ki and Choi Sung-eun are exceptional. Song delivers a nuanced portrayal of Ki-wan, capturing both his unwavering resilience and the profound emotional vulnerability that arises from loss and displacement. Choi embodies the complexities of Marie's character, showcasing her inner turmoil and gradual path towards healing.

"My Name is Loh Kiwan" transcends the boundaries of a conventional refugee story. It delves into the depths of human emotions, exploring themes of identity, hope, and the transformative power of connection. This is a film that lingers in your thoughts long after the credits roll, leaving you with a renewed appreciation for the power of hope and the importance of empathy in an increasingly divided world.

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A Compelling Journey of Peril and Perseverance, Abandoned for a Ridiculous “Love” Story

Started off as a brutal look into the struggles in immigrating from North Korea. The journey was tough to watch as Loh lived off the grid with his mother in China while she worked to raise enough money for them to escape to some European safe haven. Things don’t go exactly as planned when they are discovered by the Chinese police and his mother is killed while they’re attempting to flee.

Loh makes it to Belgium but continues to encounter some very difficult hardships. Though his encounters with the locals always escalating to violence, on their part, was heavy handed and unrealistic, his struggles for work and warmth and a roof over his head were authentic.

The part where this story goes off the rails is with Marie. A woman whose rebellion against her father over the death of her mother involves doing drugs and being the pawn of a Belgium gangster. It’s not love at first sight with these two being that she steals his wallet, which has all he has left of his mother and what little money he earned from her death. But soon their lives become entangled when she promises to get his wallet back and gives him a tip which results in a job.

There’s nothing more to their love story except a shared meal over which they didn’t talk but spent the entire time stuffing their faces, but somehow they came out of that being deeply in love, with Loh willing to do everything from OD on drugs, face off with gangsters and risk his ability to gain citizenship to save Marie. It was utterly ridiculous.

The movie seemed to have spent more time on the “love” story and Marie’s drama than on what should’ve been the focus of the story, Loh’s journey to freedom. In the end he finally gets citizenship in Belgium and in a voiceover states that he faced “many storms to get there. It would’ve made for an excellent story if we’d actually seen it. Instead his story became about saving Marie, then giving up his citizenship to go be with her on some island in the South Pacific. Needless to say I was left a bit perturbed by this waste of two hours.

I will say the Korean actors were great in this, but the premise advertised is not what this turned out to be.

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Powerful immersion of lifelike characters

A story about a North Korean defector who escaped from China en route to Europe, his journey comes with a handful of twists, and there are a few fresh takes on this genre. Acting performances are definitely the most powerful aspect of this movie, the level of immersion into the characters is just insane from all the actors. The story is quite fast paced and lots of details going around, plot development is effective in pushing the emotions to a higher ground every time when uncertainty takes forth. The ending could be a little too dramatic, but in a sense that the director may seem to have wanted to paint the characters some hope, given how lifelike they were written, weren't we all just wanted to be hopeful even during the dreadest situation happening in this unforgiving society.

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