苦難の行軍
The film's central theme is that a person should be happy and content in the place of their birth, regardless of conditions, and supports the willingness of the North Korean government to restrict migration from the countryside into the cities. Another theme is for people to "eat potatoes, not rice", which reinforces an official government campaign encouraging the consumption of potatoes. Despite being filmed during the North Korean famine, "Myself in the Distant Future" depicts a country blessed with a plentiful supply of food.