A school bus carrying thirteen children vanishes without a trace. Seven days later, several of the children are found dead in the basement of a warehouse in a mining town, and the search is soon called off. The incident leaves So-young (Kim Hyun-Joo) living in anguish, not even knowing whether her son Sun-woo is alive or dead. Nine years later, So-young meets Sun-woo every day through an augmented reality program called ‘Children of Paradise’. Then a grown-up Sun-woo (Bae Hyeon-seong) appears before her—a stranger utterly unlike the son she knows. PARADISE LOST is a tightly constructed psychological thriller from Yeon Sang-ho. Through his genre works, Yeon has deftly explored the multifaceted faces of people caught up in the immense forces that move the world, as well as their uncompromising desires. Between the virtual and the real, what is genuine? Does authenticity have any meaning? What, how, and how much can we believe? Refusing to turn away from these painful questions, So-young ultimately answers them in her own way, through her actions and decisions.
A South Korean director, writer, and producer. His feature debut, KING OF PIGS (2011), became the first Korean animated feature to be invited to the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. He later gained international recognition with TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016). He has since expanded his body of work with Netflix series, including HELLBOUND and PARASYTE: THE GREY, as well as the Japanese series Human Vapor. His latest directorial works include COLONY (2026) and PARADISE LOST, which were invited to the Cannes Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, respectively, marking the notable achievement of having two films selected for the two festivals in the same year.
From Busan International Film Festival 2026, No. 31
