[Photo&] “AI That Replaces a Dead Son” Hirokazu Kore-eda’s New Work ‘A Sheep in a Box’ Unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival

Humanity in the AI era: a weighty topic from a master

“In an era when artificial intelligence (AI) technology advances by leaps and bounds, we should ask ourselves what, exactly, defines humanity.”

Bringing his new film ‘A Sheep in a Box’, invited to the competitive section of the 79th Cannes International Film Festival, Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda presented a philosophical topic befitting the AI era during a press conference on the 17th (local time).

The film depicts an audacious narrative in which a young couple who lost their young son in an unforeseen accident welcomes a ‘humanoid robot’—into which the dead son’s appearance and memories have been 그대로 (faithfully) transferred—as their new family. Director Hirokazu Kore-eda said, “I learned that in China, there is actually a business underway that uses AI technology to recreate the appearance and voice of a deceased person,” and he pointed sharply to the ethical repercussions that generative AI could bring. In a situation where those left behind communicate again with the deceased, the story demands deep reflection on whether there is a moral defect in the act of the living manipulating the memories of the dead.

Between loss and healing: the birth of a new alternative family

‘A Sheep in a Box’ explores how far a person who has suffered the pain of loss can connect with a machine that holds the memories of the deceased. It also seeks new possibilities for how future society forms relationships and provides care by combining the concept of an ‘alternative family’ with a humanoid.

Haruka Ayase, a leading Japanese actress who plays the role of Otone, described the character: “After losing her son, Otone is someone who seems like time has stopped and who lives having lost her emotions, but through interactions with the humanoid, she gradually heals the wounds inside.” She added, “A machine with the likeness of her son isn’t a real human being, but the very existence of such ‘artificial intelligence’ makes us question what true relationships are.” She pointed to the film’s key points for viewers.

A feat of reaching Cannes for the 8th time—arriving in Korea next month

This new work is director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s 8th overall entry to the competitive section of the Cannes Film Festival, drawing intense attention from the global film world. With an impressive track record—including the Jury Prize for 2013’s ‘Like Father, Like Son’, the Palme d’Or for 2018’s ‘Shoplifters’, and awards for the screenplay and the Queer Palm for 2023’s ‘Monster’—whether he will deliver another Cannes triumph again this time is a major point of interest.

Expectation among Korean movie fans is also at an all-time high. ‘A Sheep in a Box’ will be officially released in Korean theaters on the 10th of next month. Ahead of its release, director Hirokazu Kore-eda and child actor Rimu Kuwaki have confirmed a surprise in-person visit to Korea on the 4th of next month. Along with official press conferences, they will also carry out schedules for stage greetings and a conversation with audiences (GV) through the 5th, and plan to meet Korean viewers in a special way.