What is 'The Lost Paradise' about?

Kim Hyun-joo leads the psychological thriller 'The Lost Paradise', in which she plays Ryu So-young, a mother who lost her son nine years ago when a camping school bus disappeared. The story begins when her son, Ryu Seon-woo, returns alive, as if by miracle.

Who directed the film?

The film is directed by Yeon Sang-ho, whose previous film 'Psychokinesis' drew more than one million viewers last year. It is Kim Hyun-joo's fourth project with him, following 'Hellbound', 'The Bequeathed', and 'Jung_E'.

What did Kim Hyun-joo say about the role?

In an interview at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, on the 16th, Kim Hyun-joo said she trusts Yeon Sang-ho as a collaborator and felt she could take on the role partly because she is not a mother herself. She described the character's emotions as ranging from grief over losing her child to a near-obsessive attachment to an AI version of her son.

Was it a big-budget production?

No. According to the interview, the film had a net production cost of about 500 million won and was shot across 14 days over roughly a month. Kim Hyun-joo said the rawness of the shoot suited the story.

For international fans

Yeon Sang-ho is known internationally for the zombie series 'Hellbound', which Kim Hyun-joo also starred in. Fans who followed that series may recognize the director's style of dark, emotionally heavy storytelling.