“Touch” with Kōki Captures the Essence of Lost Love

The one that got away, a common theme in the romance genre. Baltasar Kormákur’s “Touch” is full of romantic suspense, covering the theme and discovering what it means to reflect on what could have been. 

We are introduced to Kristófer (Egill Ólafsson), a widower, as he silently lays in bed reflecting upon his life. We see him at the doctor’s office getting what appears to be news that we all are afraid to hear. He is advised by his doctor to settle any unfinished business. As the world is about to be shut down with the onset of the COVID-19 virus, Kristófer is determined to search for his first love after 50 years. 

Based on the novel written by Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson, the film gives Kormákur the chance to write and direct his own interpretation of love. “My relationship with love, 58 years that I have lived, I wanted to use the opportunity to project my kind of relationships and feelings toward it.” he said to Mochi Magazine. 

If you’re a romantic like me, the idea of finding the one who got away is initially endearing, but like any realist would agree — and as the movie portrays — living in “what could have been” moments disregards the present day. Kristófer dismisses his doctor’s calls and daughter’s concerns of leaving Iceland, and heads to London. 

We see Kristófer’s life unfold as it takes place in the present and past. We are taken down memory lane to see a romance develop between a young Kristófer (Pálmi Kormákur) and Miko (Kōki).  

Young Kristófer is a bright economics student at the London School of Economics. Once realizing his views don’t match up with his peers, he decides to drop out. He then takes on a dishwasher job in a Japanese restaurant, immersing himself in Japanese culture and gradually falls in love with the owner’s daughter, Miko. 

The movie shows that Kristófer and Miko are very fond of each other right from the start. Their first encounter is love at first sight. As their relationship progresses, the audience is able to sense the raw emotion the two characters share. 

The film takes place across three countries: Iceland, London, and Japan. Kormákur admitted there were challenges working across continents, but felt rewarded doing so. “It was very challenging to say the least. It was a journey across the world with a crew working with different crews in England and Japan and learning about the different cultural differences and dealing with it, but the challenge was really worth it and I really enjoyed taking on this,” the director shared. 

Although most of the movie takes place in London, we see a lot of love for Japanese culture. Throughout the film, we see Kristófer spending his nights at the restaurant studying Japanese. He even learns how to cook a traditional Japanese breakfast. 

From Model to Actress: Kōki’s Path to “Touch”

Reflecting on the Iceland release of “Touch” and its impact, Japanese actor Kōki expressed hopes for the film as it continues to premiere. She hopes it resonates with audiences. “I would love it if people would think about the message of the film and I’d love to hear what they thought about the chemistry and the emotions and the moments during the film,” she shared excitedly. “I’d love to hear what scenes they love the most and what they thought emotionally inside.”

Kōki is an up-and-coming actor, but she is not new to the entertainment industry. She is the daughter of Japanese singer and actor Takuya Kimura, and she shares her father’s passion for storytelling. “I think my parents had a very huge impact on that because I loved watching my dad’s films and movies since I was small,” she said. 

However, Kōki’s career initially started off in singing and modeling. Though she wrote songs for her mother’s album and appeared in ELLE Japan, she decided to follow in her father’s footsteps into acting. “Touch,” being her second film, reflects on her journey into acting, crediting her dad as the primary inspiration. 

“[It’s inspiring to have] someone I could look up [to] so close to myself,” Kōki explained. “I’d like to become like my dad when I grow up and become someone who makes the audience feel such an emotion and tell a story or message, so I think having inspirational parents helped me.”

Discussing the preparation for her role in “Touch,” Kōki described a multifaceted process. “First of all, when I met Baltasar, it was in Tokyo,” she recalled. “I had really long hair appearance-wise and he was saying [the film] was in the 1960s and 1970s. We decided to cut my hair and make it like a fringe and make a completely new look for Miko.”

She also mentioned embracing the character’s era, which involved delving into Japan’s and London’s historical contexts. Understanding the past and history of the people living in London those days as well as having information about the Hiroshima background proved to be both challenging and educational, she said.  

When asked about similarities and differences between herself and her character, Kōki highlights their shared passion for expressing emotions. However, she acknowledged challenges in portraying confidence, a trait Miko excels in. 

“Something different is how she’s really confident in making the first move,” Kōki admitted. “I found it really difficult in a way because I tend to be [on the] shy side, I guess. That was the challenging part in the leading role.”

Kormákur’s “Touch”: A Step Toward Inclusive Cinema

Recently, there has been a lot of diverse representation of backgrounds in the entertainment industry. Kormákur expressed, “There’s a lot of diversity happening. For example, in Iceland where I have been working a lot, female participation has risen a lot, and I have been very outspoken about that to make that happen.”

Kormákur also explained that he has noticed a positive change to how diversity is implemented in the industry, “I also think about diversity regarding cultures, telling stories of different cultures, and actually telling them in a way that respects the cultures.” 

Kōki also offers advice to aspiring Asian actors, sharing insights she gained from her own experiences of working with many different people in different cultures. “They taught me to be myself and be confident in who you are,” she advised. “That is something I’d love to keep.”

Overall, the film does more than represent the initial theme of lost love. It shows that life is messy, complicated, far from perfect, even in moments you may want to last forever. 

“Touch” is in theaters in the U.S. starting Friday, July 12, 2024. Learn more about the movie, and follow Kōki on Instagram at @Koki. 

Cover image credit: Lilja Jonsdottir / © 2024 FOCUS FEATURES LLC