Lee Chang-Dong’s Possible Love Enters South Korea’s Oscar Race, Heads To Venice Competition

Filmmaker Lee Chang-Dong is back on the international stage with Possible Love, and his latest film has already secured a significant place in South Korea’s awards-season campaign. The Netflix drama has been chosen as the country’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards and will compete at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. The film marks Lee’s first feature since 2018’s Burning, bringing togetherJeon Do-Yeon, Sul Kyung-Gu, Zo In-Sung and Cho Yeo-Jeong.

Venice premiere And Oscar push put Possible Love in the spotlight

Lee Chang-dong’s return to the international festival circuit began with Possible Love’s Venice journey, where the film is competing in the main section of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. On September 6, the filmmaker joined Jeon Do-Yeon, Sol Kyung-Gu, Zo In-Sung and Cho Yeo-Jeong for the film’s official press conference.

The film is also carrying South Korea’s Oscar hopes after being selected as its official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards. Its festival run will continue beyond Venice, with selections at Toronto, New York, San Sebastián, Zurich, Vancouver and London. Lee will also receive the TIFF Ebert Director Award and become the first Korean filmmaker to receive the Auteur Award at the Mill Valley Film Festival.

The Venice screening marks Lee’s return to the big screen eight years after Burning. During the film’s press conference, the director reflected on how the pandemic and changing patterns of everyday life made him reconsider human relationships and cinema’s ability to connect audiences. The film reunites Lee with Jeon Do-Yeon, following their collaboration on Secret Sunshine, while Sol Kyung-Gu returns to work with the filmmaker after Peppermint Candy and Oasis. Zo In-Sung and Cho Yeo-Jeong round out the principal cast.

Possible Love Enters South Korea’s Oscar Race

Possible Love brings together two married couples whose worlds could hardly be more different. A laid-off worker and his wife find themselves connected to a documentary filmmaker and her wealthy husband, with a filmmaking project becoming the setting for unexpected encounters, tensions and revelations. As the four spend more time together, their personal relationships begin to intersect with the stories they are trying to capture on camera, exposing hidden emotions and unspoken desires.

For Lee Chang-Dong, the film became an opportunity to examine how society and human connections have changed, particularly in the aftermath of the pandemic. Developed with co-writer Oh Jung-Mi, the story reflects on class differences, desire and the increasingly complicated ways people relate to one another, while also questioning cinema’s ability to connect people in a rapidly changing world.

Possible Love opens in select South Korean theatres on September 23 and will premiere globally on Netflix on November 6.

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