[TF Interview] Director Yeon Sang-ho's Perseverance and Conviction for 'The Paradise of the Silenced'

The second low-budget project, released on the heels of the success of 'The Face'"I wanted to make an entertaining film that leads to a story of existence."Director Yeon Sang-ho held an interview regarding the release of the film 'Lost Paradise'. /CJ ENM[THE FACT|Reporter Park Ji-yoon] He doesn't settle for familiar scale and format, but explores new possibilities in his own way and steadfastly unfolds the stories he wants to tell. This is the story of director Yeon Sang-ho, who completed his second low-budget project, 'Lost Paradise,' with a clear conviction.On the 14th, ahead of the release of the film 'Lost Paradise,' he conducted an interview with in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. On this day, Director Yeon honestly shared his reasons for expanding the story by purchasing the original work written by his mother, and his perspective on AI (Artificial Intelligence) as a director.'Lost Paradise,' which was released on screens on the 21st, is a psychological thriller that begins when Ryu Seon-woo (played by Bae Hyun-sung), who was presumed dead, miraculously returns to his mother, Ryu So-young (played by Kim Hyun-joo), who lost her son in a camping school bus disappearance incident nine years ago. The film has been officially invited to the Special Presentations section of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival and the Gala Presentations section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival.Director Yeon Sang-ho completed 'Lost Paradise' by purchasing one of the three works written by his mother. After contemplating what to do with her son who was engaging in bad deeds, he read the original work, which depicted the mother's peculiar psychology of wanting to perish while embracing her son. He became curious to understand his mother, whom he had lived with for a long time but didn't truly know. He then expanded the story by combining this curiosity with AI."I started thinking that I needed to delve into my parents, and in the end, I came to see AI as related to human existence. The concerns from existentialist literature I studied in college seemed like they would become important questions in the AI era. At the same time, I thought that it would be a natural discussion about existence if audiences, after watching the film as a popular movie, debated Ryu So-young's final choice. The desire to provide that kind of entertainment became the driving force behind this project."'Lost Paradise,' released on the 21st, is a psychological thriller that begins when Ryu Seon-woo, who was presumed dead, miraculously returns to his mother, who lost her son in a camping school bus disappearance incident nine years ago. /CJ ENMThe film depicts the story of Ryu So-young, who lost her son in a camping school bus disappearance incident, enduring day by day by using an AI service that allows her to meet her virtual child again. When her son, whom she thought was dead, returns after nine years, she is faced with the heavy secret of the time he spent without her knowledge, and falls into a dilemma where she must choose between the grown-up Seon-woo and the young Seon-woo recreated by AI.Looking at this, one can't help but wonder if AI is a being that soothes the emotion of loss, or if it hinders humans from overcoming their own wounds. This makes one even more curious about what message director Yeon Sang-ho, who made the film, wanted to convey to the audience."I believe human emotions have duality. The reason I applied Milton's 'Paradise Lost' is that I found it interesting how we experience happiness and suffering while living in a world of contemplation. I thought of Seon-woo as the serpent and felt jealousy towards the safe AI Seon-woo. It's human desire. These things led me to ponder what is human in the age of AI and how we can prove human existence. I wanted to create a film that provides entertaining elements, leading to a story about existence without the audience realizing it, with So-young's final choice as a clear theme."'Lost Paradise' was produced with an investment of approximately 500 million won in net production costs and completed filming in 14 days, making it director Yeon Sang-ho's second low-budget project. After achieving success with 'The Face,' completed last year with a production cost of about 200 million won and captivating 1.08 million viewers, he made special efforts to create a more structured and clean system, rather than a profit-sharing model.Regarding the release of his second low-budget project, director Yeon Sang-ho frankly stated, "I want to do it every year, but I don't think I can." /CJ ENM"'The Face,' which lacks genre elements, was watched by over a million people, more than 'The King of Pigs,' which was seen by 20,000 people. I couldn't have imagined it. It was a kind of event. However, I don't expect 'Lost Paradise' to be watched by a million people. But my goal is to spark a discourse that this way of making films can also be a valid approach. It's a project that allows me to achieve my purpose of telling absurd stories that I hold within me. I want to do it every year, but I don't think I can (laughs)."Director Yeon Sang-ho entrusted this project to Kim Hyun-joo with a justified trust, having previously worked with her on the Netflix series 'Hellbound,' 'JUNG_E,' and 'The Bequeathed.' He emphasized, "Kim Hyun-joo has a style of deeply contemplating acting, and I thought that Ryu So-young's character required that level of energy and detail, so I wanted her to play the role. I had no worries at all."He then explained why he cast Bae Hyun-sung, with whom he had a connection through a special appearance in Netflix's 'Hellbound 2,' as Ryu Seon-woo. Director Yeon recalled, "I saw his strong immersion and seriousness then, and I thought I'd like to see him again. Then, when we met for this project, he seemed relaxed. His eyes and immersion were good during the first shoot in the coal mining village. I thought he was good."Earlier, director Yeon Sang-ho graced the 79th Cannes Film Festival with the film 'The Nest,' released in May, and achieved the feat of becoming one of the top 2 highest-grossing Korean films in 2026 by captivating 5.95 million viewers in Korea. He then participated as a creator in the Japanese Netflix original series 'Gas Human' and has been actively working by releasing 'Lost Paradise.'Director Yeon Sang-ho shared his future plans, saying, "I am in post-production for 'YETO,' which has finished filming, and the Netflix Japanese series 'Parasyte: The Maxim,' in which I participated in the planning, is scheduled to be released next year." /CJ ENMThis approach reflects his feelings while watching YouTubers constantly releasing new content at a rapid pace. Director Yeon observed, "YouTubers quickly check and modify their content by watching comments in real-time. It's natural for directors who started as YouTubers to release popular works because they are accustomed to quickly hearing the public's voice.""If I just sit in my studio, I have no idea what's going on in the world. New ideas don't come from just staying at home alone. My chosen method is to release it, quickly hear the public's reaction, and then conceive new ideas from that."As the most prolific director among Korea's representative filmmakers, director Yeon Sang-ho is currently in post-production for 'YETO,' which has finished filming, and hinted that the Netflix Japanese series 'Parasyte: The Maxim,' in which he participated in the planning, is scheduled to be released next year.However, for a prolific director, the concerns of running out of material or self-plagiarism are unavoidable challenges. As more works accumulate, and the period between new releases shortens, audiences may anticipate predictability rather than novelty. But director Yeon Sang-ho showed a calmly reasoned response."The moment the audience's disappointment exceeds the threshold, I will have to retire automatically. This is like the destiny of a creator. And whether I work a lot or a little, the threshold seems to adjust automatically. I pursue that natural outcome. I am waiting for the moment when I can no longer work because the threshold of disappointment has been crossed. That moment will surely come someday, but it doesn't seem to be this year. Perhaps not next year either? (laughs)"[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]jiyoon-1031@tf.co.kr