Yeon Sang Ho's new work 'Paradise Lost' to be in a special section at the Toronto Film Festival

Director Yeon Sang Ho will take the stage at the Toronto International Film Festival for the second consecutive year. His new work, 'Paradise Lost', has been officially invited to the 'Special Presentations' section, a major segment of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival. The film will have its world premiere at the festival, which will be held in Toronto, Canada, from September 10 to 20.

Following 'The Ugly' shown last year, Director Yeon has solidified his position as a director chosen by Toronto. Following the invitation of 'Colony' to the Midnight Screenings section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in the first half of this year, 'Paradise Lost' entering Toronto in the second half means he has placed two commercial films in major international film festivals within a single year.

A psychological battle between an AI-revived child and a real son

'Paradise Lost' is a psychological thriller that tells the story of Ryu So-young (played by Kim Hyun-joo), a mother who lost her son in a camping school bus disappearance nine years ago. It depicts the events that unfold when her son, Ryu Sun-woo (played by Bae Hyun Sung), whom she thought was dead, miraculously returns. In the released trailer, Director Yeon Sang Ho explained, "It is a work that captures the desperate struggle of a mother caught between a child revived by AI and a real child who has returned alive after nine years." Director Yeon added that he has contemplated the dark side of humanity through 'The King of Pigs', 'The Fake', and 'The Ugly', and that 'Paradise Lost' is the darkest work among his stories.

The unveiled international poster features an old photo of a child with the face torn out, a silhouette walking out of the darkness, and Ryu So-young standing with her head bowed in front of the photo. The silhouette with the missing face suggests that Sun-woo, who returned after nine years, is different from the image in her memory. In the trailer, Kim Hyun-joo asks, "Do you know how terrible it was for me that you disappeared?", followed by Sun-woo's appearance and the line, "You are my only son, Sun-woo."

The meeting of Kim Hyun-joo and Bae Hyun Sung, domestic release in October

Actor Kim Hyun-joo reunites with Director Yeon Sang Ho following the 'Torment' series, 'JUNG_E', and 'The Bequeathed'. She plays the role of Ryu So-young, a mother wavering between the grief of losing her son and their reunion. Her co-star, Bae Hyun Sung, takes his first step as a leading actor playing the role of Ryu Sun-woo, the son who returns after nine years. The confrontation between the two actors regarding the identity of the son who returned looking unfamiliar forms the core of the drama.

The film unfolds by alternating between the daily life of Ryu So-young, who lives relying on her young son within the virtual reality 'Children of Paradise', and the appearance of Sun-woo, who appears with the copy "I have returned." 'Paradise Lost', which will make its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, is scheduled for a domestic theatrical release this October.