Yeom Hye-ran's Berlin Film Earned a Standing Ovation

When director Jung Ji-young first heard that actress Yeom Hye-ran wanted to be part of his new film, he did something that veteran filmmakers rarely do — he threw out his screenplay and started over. The lead role, originally conceived for a different kind of performer, was completely rewritten to harness the raw emotional power that Yeom Hye-ran brings to every frame she inhabits. The result, My Name Is, just received a standing ovation at the Berlin International Film Festival, and international critics are calling it one of the most devastating performances of the year.

The film premiered at the 76th Berlinale's Forum section, where it became an immediate talking point among festival-goers and critics alike. Produced by Let's Film and Aura Pictures, My Name Is is set to open in South Korean theaters on April 3, 2026 — a date chosen with profound symbolic significance.

A Story That Demands to Be Told

My Name Is centers on a woman from 1949 Jeju Island, a character whose life is shaped by one of the most painful chapters in modern Korean history. The film explores themes of memory, identity, and intergenerational trauma, following a woman who must confront the weight of silenced history while searching for her own sense of self in the aftermath of devastating loss.

The film's title carries multiple layers of meaning. At a memorial site on Jeju, there stands a blank stele — a monument with no inscription — symbolizing the fact that the full story of what happened has never been officially named or fully acknowledged. The film takes its name from this idea: the act of finding and reclaiming an identity that history tried to erase.

Director Jung Ji-young, known for his unflinching approach to difficult social subjects in Korean cinema, has described the project as something close to a personal calling. He has spent years developing stories that illuminate the hidden corners of Korean society, and My Name Is represents perhaps his most intimate and emotionally ambitious work to date.

Why the Director Rewrote Everything

The casting of Yeom Hye-ran fundamentally transformed the film. According to accounts from the production, the actress approached Jung Ji-young and expressed her desire to participate in the project regardless of the role's size. She told the director that the subject matter was too important for her not to be involved, and that she considered it an honor to contribute to a film dealing with such significant historical themes.

Jung Ji-young's response was extraordinary. Rather than simply fitting Yeom Hye-ran into the existing framework, he recognized that her presence demanded a completely different approach. He restructured the screenplay with her at the center, rebuilding the lead character from the ground up to take advantage of her extraordinary range and emotional depth. It was a decision that would prove inspired.

Yeom Hye-ran, who has built a reputation over 27 years as one of Korean cinema's most versatile character actresses, has been best known for scene-stealing supporting roles in productions like The Glory, Mask Girl, and Lovely Runner. With My Name Is, she steps fully into the leading role, carrying the entire emotional weight of the film on her shoulders.

Berlin's Overwhelming Response

The world premiere at the Berlinale was nothing short of extraordinary. The screening took place at Cinema Paris, a historic venue in Berlin that has served as one of the festival's main screening locations. Originally established as a French cultural center in 1958, the venue provided a fitting backdrop for a film that deals with cultural memory and historical reckoning.

As the final credits rolled — listing the names of approximately ten thousand people who contributed to making the film possible — the audience erupted into sustained applause. The standing ovation was not the polite, perfunctory kind that festival audiences sometimes offer; observers noted that the response was genuine and deeply felt, with many audience members visibly moved.

International critics have been equally effusive. The Berlin Film Festival's official assessment described the film as having an extraordinary resonance that breaks the silence left by tragedy. Foreign press coverage has focused particularly on Yeom Hye-ran's performance, with one widely cited review calling it an extraordinary performance that embodied historical tragedy with her entire being. The consensus among critics is that Yeom Hye-ran has delivered a career-defining performance that elevates the entire film.

A Korean Presence at the Berlinale

The film's Berlin premiere arrived during a particularly significant year for Korean cinema at the festival. Actress Bae Doona served as a jury member for this edition of the Berlinale, continuing a tradition of Korean film luminaries participating in the festival's highest levels. Previous Korean jury members have included director Bong Joon-ho in 2015, adding to the growing prestige of Korean cinema on the international stage.

The premiere was also documented by JTBC's popular program Tokpawon 25si, which sent correspondents to Berlin to cover the event. The show's segment featured exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the screening and a special dinner with the cast and crew, providing Korean audiences with an intimate look at the film's international debut. DAY6 member Young K and acting researcher Baek Eun-ha joined as special correspondents for the Berlin segment.

Also starring in the film is Shin Woo-bin, who makes a notable screen debut. The young actress attended the Berlin premiere alongside Yeom Hye-ran and Jung Ji-young, and their shared vlog documenting the experience was released to enthusiastic fan reception. The behind-the-scenes content revealed the nervous excitement of the team as they prepared for the world premiere and the overwhelming emotions that followed the screening.

The Weight of April 3

The decision to release the film domestically on April 3 is laden with meaning. The date connects directly to the historical events at the heart of the story, ensuring that the film's theatrical release becomes not just a commercial event but a moment of cultural reflection. For Yeom Hye-ran and the entire production team, the timing underscores their commitment to ensuring that the stories told in the film reach the widest possible audience at the most meaningful possible moment.

Director Jung Ji-young has emphasized that the film is not intended as a political statement but as a deeply human story about the cost of silence and the courage required to speak. Through the character that Yeom Hye-ran inhabits — a Jeju mother whose life force proves indestructible despite unimaginable loss — the film argues that remembering is itself an act of resistance and that naming what happened is the first step toward healing.

What This Means for Yeom Hye-ran

For an actress who spent much of her career in supporting roles, the Berlin reception represents a watershed moment. Yeom Hye-ran has long been recognized within the Korean film industry as one of its most reliable and gifted performers, but My Name Is may be the project that introduces her to a global audience in a way that her previous work, however acclaimed, never quite achieved.

The fact that a director of Jung Ji-young's stature was willing to rebuild his entire film around her speaks to the unique quality she brings to the screen. It is not merely technical skill but a kind of emotional authenticity that allows audiences to forget they are watching a performance. In Berlin, that quality transcended language and cultural barriers, connecting with viewers who knew nothing about the historical context but recognized the universal truth of loss, resilience, and the desperate human need to be remembered by name.