Inspired by real events, HANA KOREA follows Hyesun, a young North Korean refugee who has just arrived in fast-paced, hyper-modern South Korea. As she struggles to adapt to her new life, Hyesun must confront the emotional toll of leaving her past behind while trying to carve out a place for herself in a society permeated by high performance and dire expectations.

World premiering at Busan International Film Festival, where it took home the prestigious Audience Award in the Flash Forward section, HANA KOREA is based on the true story of, Hyesun who fled North Korea. Sharon Choi, known for her collaboration with Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho on „Parasite“ (2019), has co-written the film and has served as Sølberg’s right hand and interpreter on set. The film stars an internationally acclaimed cast consisting of Minha Kim (Pachinko, 2022), Joo-Ryoung Kim (Squid Game, 2021) and Seo-hyun An (Okja, 2017).

This financing is made possible through and benefits from the support of the Cultural and Creative Sectors Guarantee Facility with the financial backing of the European Union under the Creative Europe Programme.