Korean director Yeon Sang-ho credits mother for inspiring new film 'Paradise Lost'

Korean filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho revealed that his latest film, Paradise Lost, was inspired by a story written by his mother. The psychological thriller, which premiered in Seoul, follows the unsettling reunion between the mother, So-young (Kim Hyun-joo), and her son, Sun-woo (Bae Hyun-sung), who was presumed dead in a school bus accident nine years earlier.

Yeon Sang-ho, known for hits such as Colony, The Ugly, and Train to Busan, shared at a press conference that his mother was always supportive of his screenwriting aspirations. During one visit, she showed him a three-page story she had penned, which became the basis for the film. The director playfully mentioned that he purchased the story at a discount and that it served as the foundation for the screenplay he developed.