Jung Ji-young's 'My Name' and Oh Ji-in's 'Speedy!' Invited to Berlin International Film Festival

Poster of 'My Name' (provided by Lets Film · Aura Pictures)

Veteran director Jung Ji-young, in his 44th year since debut, and emerging filmmaker Oh Ji-in have both been officially invited to the 76th Berlin International Film Festival. Jung's My Name will screen in the Forum section, while Oh's short film Speedy! has been selected for the Generation Kplus competition.

Jung Ji-young, known for socially conscious films like Southern Partisan and White War since the 1980s, will make his first appearance at a major A-list international film festival with this selection. Meanwhile, Oh Ji-in, a recent graduate of Columbia University's Film MFA program, is set to make her mark on the world stage with her thesis film Speedy!. The simultaneous invitation of these two directors to the same festival demonstrates the depth and breadth of Korean cinema across generations.

Jung Ji-young's My Name centers on the Jeju April 3rd Uprising and Massacre, a traumatic historical event that claimed tens of thousands of lives in 1948-1954. The film follows an 18-year-old boy embarrassed by his old-fashioned name and his mother (eomeong in Jeju dialect) who insists on preserving it, as they embark on a journey to uncover a promise hidden for 50 years.

"The film sensitively illuminates the trauma left by tragic history and reminds us of the importance of breaking long-held silences across generations," the Berlinale stated.

My Name began as the grand prize winner of the Jeju 4.3 Peace Foundation screenplay competition and was funded through voluntary contributions from Jeju residents. At a time when investment in Korean cinema has significantly contracted, the film's achievement in reaching one of the world's top three film festivals through citizen-supported production is particularly noteworthy.

Still from ‘Speedy!’ (provided by Berlin International Film Festival)

Oh Ji-in's Speedy! is a black comedy following 9-year-old Jung-min's struggle to become a speed-reading prodigy. Sebastian Macht, head of the Berlinale's Generation section, describes the film as one that "addresses the heavy theme of societal pressure to achieve with a light and playful rhythm, while maintaining warmth and affection for its characters throughout."

Though different in era and genre, both films share common ground in exploring themes of "silence and pressure." While My Name transforms stories silenced by historical trauma into a narrative of intergenerational reconciliation, Speedy! uses humor to navigate the achievement pressure young children face in meeting societal expectations.

The simultaneous Berlin invitation of a veteran and an emerging director signals that Korean cinema is garnering attention across generations. As the Berlin International Film Festival opens on February 12, anticipation builds for how these two works will be received by international audiences.

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