Director Yeon Sang-ho Returns to Cannes with Colony, a Zombie Film for the Hyper-Connected Age

Cannes, France — South Korean director Yeon Sang-ho, the visionary behind the global hit Train to Busan (2016), has returned to the Cannes Film Festival with his latest project, Colony. The film is set in a skyscraper where a slime mold bioweapon is released, creating a coordinated zombie horde.

"The zombie genre allows each generation to reflect its own fears and anxieties."

In Colony, Yeon explores themes of hyper-connectivity, loss of individuality, and societal response to crisis. He cites COVID-19 pandemic government responses as a direct influence on the film's portrayal of quarantine and responsibility.

The Zombie as a Societal Mirror

According to Yeon, the zombie genre remains potent because it evolves with the times. The filmmaker believes that each generation uses the undead to process its own unique set of anxieties.

In Colony, the infection is intentionally introduced. Yeon explains this choice was made to explore "human ambition and anxiety about technological developments."

The Threat of AI and Conformity

Yeon offers a stark critique of artificial intelligence, framing it as a tool that enforces conformity rather than fosters freedom.

"AI amalgamates mainstream opinions, reduces individuality, and rarely opposes the user."

He finds this dynamic problematic, contrasting it with the messy, contradictory nature of human interaction. Yeon argues that AI is more dangerous than the human ego precisely because it enforces conformity.

Lessons from Ant Colonies

The director’s research on ant colonies provided a biological metaphor for the film. He notes that colonies share weaknesses and survive through mutation, an analogy for the need for individuality in society. This concept is visually represented in the film's zombie movement: the horde moves as a coordinated group, which Yeon describes as "fingers playing the same tune on a piano."

The Pandemic’s Shadow

Yeon directly acknowledges the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on Colony. He observed that government officials often deferred responsibility, not out of malice, but to avoid liability. This dynamic shaped the film's depiction of authority figures navigating a man-made crisis.

A Film for the Individual

Ultimately, Yeon hopes that audiences will enjoy the film as a thriller, but also find deeper meaning. He suggests that while AI pushes for uniformity, humans need to acknowledge their differences to achieve true solidarity.

"I hope audiences enjoy the film and that its metaphors help them understand their own lives."