Why This Berlin Film Festival Pick Took 75 Years to Make

Some stories take decades to find their way to the screen — not because no one wanted to tell them, but because an entire nation needed time to be ready to hear them. My Name Is, the upcoming film from acclaimed director Jung Ji-young, is one of those stories. Selected for the Forum section of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, it arrives in Korean theaters on April 15, 2026, carrying with it over seven decades of silence surrounding one of the most painful chapters in modern Korean history.

The film centers on Yeong-ok, an 18-year-old boy played by rising star Shin Woo-bin, who desperately wants to shed what he considers an embarrassingly old-fashioned name. His mother Jeong-sun, portrayed by the extraordinary Yeom Hye-ran, insists the name must be kept. As the story unfolds across multiple timelines, the mystery behind a 50-year-old promise gradually surfaces — one rooted in the events of 1949 Jeju, when the island was engulfed in a tragedy that the nation would spend decades trying to forget.

The First Commercial Film About Jeju 4.3

What makes My Name Is historically significant extends far beyond its Berlin credentials. It is widely recognized as the first commercial Korean film to directly confront the Jeju April 3rd Incident, a series of events between 1947 and 1954 that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians on Jeju Island. For decades, the tragedy was officially suppressed and rarely discussed in mainstream Korean culture.

Director Jung Ji-young, known for his willingness to tackle difficult social subjects, weaves the historical backdrop into a deeply personal family narrative. Rather than presenting a documentary-style account, the film approaches the tragedy through the lens of intergenerational trauma — how the wounds of the past echo through names, silences, and the things mothers cannot bring themselves to explain to their children.

Veteran actor Yoo Jun-sang takes on the role of the adult Yeong-ok, bridging the gap between the young protagonist hopeful present and the painful history that shaped his family. The casting of three distinct actors across the timeline — Shin Woo-bin as the teenager, Yoo Jun-sang as the adult, and a child actor for the 1949 sequences — allows the film to explore how a single life is shaped by events that occurred before it even began.

A Promotional Blitz Across Korea Top TV Shows

The production team has launched an ambitious promotional campaign that signals strong confidence in the film commercial potential. The rollout begins on March 18, when Yeom Hye-ran appears on tvN hit variety show You Quiz on the Block. During the taping, Yeom reportedly described herself as a daughter like Geummyeong from the recent hit drama Poksak Sokasuda, revealing a deeply personal connection to the maternal themes that drive her character.

On March 22, director Jung Ji-young and Yoo Jun-sang will appear together on MBC investigative program Straight, where they plan to discuss the historical background of Jeju 1949 and the weighty narrative that runs through the film. This particular appearance promises to be especially powerful, as Straight typically attracts viewers interested in serious social and historical issues — exactly the audience most likely to champion the film message.

The promotional tour concludes on March 23, when director Jung, Yeom Hye-ran, and Shin Woo-bin join JTBC Tokpawon 25 Si. The episode will feature behind-the-scenes footage from the Berlin Film Festival, where the film received its international premiere, along with interviews conducted on location with host Baek Eun-ha and the French correspondent.

Berlin Recognition and the Road Home

The selection of My Name Is for the Berlin International Film Festival Forum section carries particular weight. The Forum is known for championing films that push boundaries and explore underrepresented stories — making it a natural home for a work that confronts a historical tragedy long avoided by Korean commercial cinema. The warm reception at Berlin has fueled expectations that the film could become a significant cultural event when it opens domestically.

Industry observers have already tagged My Name Is as a potential dark horse for the April box office. While spring typically belongs to lighter fare, the combination of Berlin prestige, a star cast led by Yeom Hye-ran — fresh off her acclaimed work in The Glory, Mask Girl, and her breakthrough lead role in Mad Dance Office — and the timeliness of historical reckoning positions the film to break through to mainstream audiences.

For Yeom Hye-ran, whose career has been defined by scene-stealing supporting roles before her recent ascent to leading lady status, My Name Is represents another milestone. Her portrayal of a mother carrying the weight of unspeakable history promises to be one of the most emotionally demanding performances of her career. Combined with Yoo Jun-sang theatrical gravitas and Shin Woo-bin youthful intensity, the ensemble creates a generational bridge that mirrors the film thematic core.

A Story That Refuses to Be Forgotten

As My Name Is prepares for its domestic premiere, it arrives at a moment when Korean audiences have shown increasing willingness to engage with difficult chapters of their own history. From the critical success of films exploring political upheaval to the growing public discourse around historical justice, the cultural landscape has shifted enough to make space for a story that was once considered too painful to tell.

Director Jung Ji-young has spent his career proving that commercial cinema can serve as a vehicle for social conscience without sacrificing emotional resonance. With My Name Is, he may have crafted his most personal and powerful statement yet — a film about how the names we carry, the secrets our parents keep, and the history we inherit all converge to shape who we become.

The question the film ultimately poses is not whether Korea is ready for this story. It is whether any nation can truly move forward without first reckoning with the names and faces it tried to forget. On April 15, Korean audiences will get the chance to decide for themselves.