Bae Doo-na shows off her linguistic skills in French movie '#Iamhere'

Actors Bae Doo-na, left, and Alain Chabat in a scene from the film “#Iamhere” / Courtesy of NEW

By Kwak Yeon-soo

“#Iamhere” is an endearing adventure movie that offers pure escapism. Mostly set in Seoul, the film is an ode to the city ― seen through the eyes of a first-time French visitor.

The film begins with divorced French chef Stephane (played by Alain Chabat) preparing a wedding feast for his son Ludo (Jules Sagot). On the wedding day, however, he spots his son kissing a young man in the kitchen and feels shocked when he discovers that everyone else, including Ludo's wife, was aware that Ludo is gay.

Feeling estranged from his family members, he becomes obsessed with Instagram and befriends a Korean woman named Soo (Bae Doo-na), who speaks fluent French and lives in Seoul. Developing romantic feelings for Soo, he impulsively heads off to Seoul to meet her because she told him “it would be nice to watch cherry blossoms together.”

Soo agrees to pick him up at the airport, but she suddenly breaks off contact with him. Stephane gets stranded at Incheon airport as he waits for Soo. His adventure begins here: he buys drinks for some middle-aged Korean men at the airport bar, has lunch with French sportsmen playing an away game and cooks at a restaurant for airport cleaning staff. Staying in the airport for 11 days, Stephane becomes a social media celebrity who goes by the nickname “French lover.”

Disappointingly, Bae only appears briefly in the film ― to talk to Stephane and cause him to ruminate on how reckless it was to come all the way from France just to meet her in real life. Bae's French is impressive and her character has many layers. However, a 20-minute appearance is too short for her to show off all her charms.

The premise has some weaknesses. Stephane says that Koreans are too busy that they don't even glance up at his face when they pass by him. But he somehow becomes a celebrity in 11 days of his stay at the airport, and Koreans are dying to take photo with him and get him on live news. Until he becomes a popular figure, the police have no idea that there's a suspicious guy wandering at the airport for days, dancing around and talking to random people.

Despite the shortfalls, the filming locations are rather eye-catching. “#Iamhere” was filmed in famous tourist sites in Seoul, like Sungnyemun (Namdaemun) Gate, Gwangjang Market, Namsan and Seokchon Lake Park. These places allow Korean audiences to rediscover the city and the locations in France depicted in the film could give them wanderlust.

The character portrayal is another striking thing about the film. The scene where Soo tells Stephane that the French don't have “nunchi,” a Korean term that refers to sensing what other people are thinking and feeling, arouses smiles. Stephane also realizes that Koreans often hide their true feelings and desires and say things simply to please others or to avoid letting them down.

Finally, audiences may reflect on the fact that the title of the film “#Iamhere” does not necessarily refer to Stephane telling Soo that he has arrived in Seoul. Stephane's caring son flies to Seoul and texts him “I am here” to remind him that family matters most.

“#Iamhere” will hit local theaters, Jan. 14.