what is nightmare on elm street based on
A Nightmare on Elm Street A Nightmare on Elm Street contains many biographical elements, taking inspiration from director Wes Craven's childhood.[14] The basis of the film was inspired by several newspaper articles printed in the Los Angeles Times in the 1970s on a group of Southeast Asian refugees, who, after fleeing to the United States from the results of war and genocide in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, were suffering disturbing nightmares, after which they refused to sleep. Some of the men died in their sleep soon after. Medical authorities called the phenomenon Asian Death Syndrome. The condition itself afflicted only men between the ages of 19 and 57 and is believed to be sudden unexplained death syndrome or Brugada syndrome, or both.[15] The 1970s pop song "Dream Weaver" by Gary Wright sealed the story for Craven, giving him not only an artistic setting to "jump off" from, but a synthesizer riff for the Elm Street soundtrack as well.[16] Craven has also stated that he drew some inspiration for the film from Eastern religions.[17]