[Busan=Edaily Starin, Reporter Choi Hee-jae ] Director Yeon Sang-ho raises questions about humanity in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) with his new film “Paradise Lost,” which was inspired by a short piece written by his mother.

Director Yeon revealed the origin of his film during a press conference for “Paradise Lost,” a Gala Presentation at the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), held at BIFF Hill in the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu on the 10th.

Director Yeon’s new film, “Paradise Lost,” began with a three-page piece written by his mother. “While reading that piece, I felt a strange sense about the protagonist’s psychology,” he said, adding, “I began writing based on that.”

Director Yeon, who purchased his mother’s writing to continue the project, explained, “I wrote the first draft around 2020 under the title ‘Punk,’ and a few years later, I rewrote the script under the title ‘Black Inferno.’”

“Paradise Lost” is a psychological thriller depicting the events that unfold when Ryu Seon-woo (played by Bae Hyun-sung)—whom his mother, Ryu So-young (played by Kim Hyun-joo), had believed to be dead after losing him in a camping school bus disappearance nine years ago—miraculously returns alive. While the novel was set in a fictional city on the Canada-U.S. border and featured the black cliff known as “Black Inferno,” the film changed this setting to a coal mine.

The central question running through the film is humanity in the age of AI. Director Yeon said, “It began with the question of what it means to be human in the age of AI,” adding, “I think curiosity about humanity has emerged as an important topic.”

Director Yeon, who majored in fine arts, referenced Renaissance humanism, explaining, “In art history, the Renaissance was an era of humanism that placed humans at the center.” He continued, “Humanism, which was popular in both painting and literature, seems to be regaining importance these days. We are living in an era where the question of ‘what it means to be human’ arises.”

Director Yeon remarked, “AI is an intriguing entity that seems to symbolize human universality,” emphasizing that this work “was written from a distinctly humanistic perspective.” This means he focused on the conditions that make humans human, rather than the novelty of the technology itself.

He explained the meaning of memory and continuity by citing a personal experience. Director Yeon said, “When my daughter was little, she would eat only mackerel for breakfast. Since the fish had many bones, I would pick out the bones every day and feed them to her,” adding, “When I asked her if she remembered me doing that, she said she couldn’t recall it.” He then quipped, “I even wondered, ‘Is this really the same person?’” drawing laughter from the audience.

Director Yeon added with a chuckle, “When I was around ten, I was really cute too. Now I wonder, ‘Is this really the same person?’”

He continued, “I think recognizing a person as the same individual is due to continuity,” explaining, “If that concept is broken, it’s hard to think of them as the same person.”

This perspective serves as a key criterion for distinguishing between the AI Seon-woo in the film and the real Seon-woo. Director Yeon said, “The AI Seon-woo is designed as an entity with continuity, while the real Seon-woo exists in a state devoid of continuity.”

In an era where AI is rapidly expanding into the realm of humanity, *Paradise Lost* questions the conditions of being human. Through a story inspired by a short piece written by his mother, Director Yeon explores what makes a person human and the significance of memory and relationships to a person’s identity, all within the framework of a psychological thriller.

The 31st Busan International Film Festival runs through the 15th at venues across Busan, including the Busan Cinema Center, CGV Centum City, Lotte Cinema Centum City, the Korean Film Council’s Standard Screening Room, the Sohyang Theater Woori Bank Hall, and the Busan Viewers’ Media Center Public Hall.