South Korea’s long‑awaited feature ‘내 이름은’ opened the Forum section of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival on Feb. 13, 2026, earning a full‑house standing ovation. The film, directed by veteran filmmaker 정지영 and headlined by 염혜란, uses the personal story of an 18‑year‑old boy and his mother to trace the lingering shadows of the Jeju 4·3 uprising, a five‑year conflict that began with police fire on civilians on March 1, 1947.
Berlin’s festival programmers called the work “a marvelous effort that breaks the silence left by tragic history, with a meticulously constructed narrative and powerful emotional resonance” SBS Entertainment. The invitation placed the film among the world’s most experimental and socially engaged cinema, a fitting home for a story that asks the nation to confront a past that “still has no official name,” according to the director’s remarks on the red carpet Korea Daily.
From Jeju’s hills to Berlin’s screens
The Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation and the Jeju International Free City Development Center (JDC) co‑produced the film, providing the financial and logistical support that brought the project from script‑writing contests to an international premiere Headline Jeju. The film’s narrative hinges on the symbolic weight of “names” – a teenager who wishes to discard a name that feels alien, and a mother who must safeguard it, while both search for a promise made fifty years earlier.
During a press conference in Berlin, 정지영 explained the film’s mission: “4·3의 이름을 국민과 같이 찾아가는 영화라고 보면 돼요.” He emphasized that the tragedy’s victims and perpetrators live side by by on the island, and that any naming should carry a sense of reconciliation and healing.
Berlin audience response
After the world premiere, the audience rose to their feet, clapping for more than five minutes. The director and cast joined the applause, exchanging brief remarks with festival attendees during a post‑screening Q&A. The standing ovation underscored the film’s ability to translate a regional wound into a universal call for memory and justice.
Festival officials highlighted the film’s “sharp gaze and compressed storytelling” that “elevates a local tragedy into an international conversation,” echoing the praise offered when the trailer debuted on the festival’s official website SBS.
Why the film matters now
Jeju 4·3, often described as an “uprising” or “protest,” remains a contested chapter of modern Korean history. The conflict resulted in the loss of thousands of lives and left a legacy of silence that the government has only gradually begun to acknowledge. By framing the event through a family drama, ‘내 이름은’ seeks to “break the silence” that the Berlin festival’s statement referenced.
Beyond artistic recognition, the film is slated for a domestic theatrical release in April 2026, timed to coincide with the annual Jeju 4·3 commemoration week. Organizers hope that the international exposure will amplify calls for a unified narrative and support ongoing peace‑building efforts on the island.
Looking ahead
Following its Berlin debut, the production team plans a series of screenings across Europe and North America, aiming to bring the story of Jeju’s 4·3 to broader audiences before the home‑market launch. The filmmakers have also pledged to partner with educational institutions to develop discussion guides that contextualize the film’s historical backdrop.
As the film continues its festival circuit, the next confirmed public engagement is a scheduled Q&A at the Cannes Film Market in May 2026, where the director hopes to further the dialogue on “naming” the tragedy and fostering reconciliation.
Readers are invited to share their thoughts on how cinema can shape collective memory, and to follow updates on the film’s upcoming screenings.
