This scene from "#Iamhere" shows the characters Soo (Bae Doona) and Stephane (Alain Chabat) by Seoul's Cheonggyecheon Stream.

By Lee Kyoung Mi and Lee Jihae
Photos = Contents Panda, NEW
Seoul | Jan. 6, 2021

"It'd be really nice to see Korean cherry blossoms together."

After seeing this text message from Soo, a Korean woman he befriends through social media, French chef Stephane boards a plane to Korea in the film "#Iamhere," which conveys a warm impression of Korea from the perspective of a middle-aged Frenchman.

Directed by Eric Lartigau and starring actors Bae Doona from Korea and Alain Chabat from France, the movie had 70% of its scenes filmed in Seoul. The first venue in the film is Incheon International Airport, where most foreign visitors arrive at, and Stephane eats and sleeps at the airport for 11 days just so he can meet Soo.

He later leaves the airport and visits various parts of the capital such as Cheonggyecheon Stream, Gwanghwamun, and the back alleys of Jongro and Euljiro.

The film's depiction of Korea conspicuously changes when Stephane meets Soo, as the country is shown as a warm place of familial love.

Among the sights in Seoul featured in the movie are Namsan Mountain, which has a great view of the city, Seokchon Lake and its cherry blossoms, and the foodie heaven Gwangjang Market. "#Iamhere" also shows encounters with Koreans from a foreign national's perspective.

"#Iamhere" protagonist Stephane spends 11 days at Incheon International Airport to meet Soo. He gets well acquainted with the airport after meeting many people there including restaurant staff, chefs and flight attendants.

On why he chose Korea to shoot his film, director Lartigau said Korea is a dynamic country with rich culture and arts.

Actor Chabat, who plays Stephane, said on his impression of shooting in Seoul that Korea is a warm and vibrant place and that people with "positive rhythm" enabled filming of the movie. 

Bae plays Soo, a pivotal character in the movie despite a brief appearance. In 2019, the French Embassy in Seoul gave her the Etoile du Cinema award, which honors an actor who contributes to cinematic exchanges between Korea and France, for her performance.

"#Iamhere" made its international premiere in 2019 at the Busan International Film Festival and was released in France in February last year. It will be screened in Korea from Jan. 14.

With the COVID-19 pandemic making traveling abroad difficult, the film offers a brief but detailed view of Seoul. Knowing about nunchi, a hard-to-translate Korean concept loosely defined as the subtle ability to assess the mindset or mood of others, is handy when watching the film.

km137426@korea.kr