Lee Chang-dong Returns to Venice with 'Possible Love,' Earning 6-Minute Ovation

Key points

• Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love' premiered in competition at the 2026 Venice Film Festival, marking his first appearance there since winning the Silver Lion for 'Oasis' in 2002.
• The film is his first feature in eight years, following the 2018 thriller 'Burning,' and is co-written with Oh Jung-mi.
• The cast includes Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung, and Cho Yeo-jeong, with the latter two appearing in 'Parasite' and 'Escape From Mogadishu' respectively.
• The movie is distributed by Netflix, with a U.S. theatrical release on October 23 and a global streaming launch on November 6.
• It is South Korea's official entry for the International Feature Film Oscar category.

Background

Lee Chang-dong is a celebrated South Korean director known for films like 'Secret Sunshine' and 'Burning.' His previous Venice appearance was in 2002. The current film follows a long hiatus, with the director citing the need for certainty about the film's meaning before beginning production. The story draws from real events, specifically a mass layoff and strike in South Korea around 2009, which the director initially felt could not be turned into fiction until recent changes in labor dynamics made it possible.

How outlets are covering it

Variety reported on the emotional reaction of the cast, noting that actors sobbed and hugged during the six-minute standing ovation, which was cut short by venue staff. The Guardian praised the film as a 'finely judged' and 'novelistic' work, highlighting its subtlety in handling the exploitative dynamic between the wealthy documentary makers and the working-class couple, while noting it avoids the more overt satirical pitfalls of similar films. Time Magazine described the film as a 'delicate drama' that captures the anxiety of modern employment and wealth inequality, emphasizing the moral questions surrounding the filmmaker-subject relationship. Deadline compared the film's class divide themes to Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' but noted its longer runtime (2 hours 44 minutes) and its status as South Korea's Oscar entry, highlighting the poignant subtext of longing in a divided world.

Why it matters

The film represents a significant return for a major auteur after an eight-year hiatus and a 24-year gap at Venice. Its strong reception and Oscar entry status signal its potential impact on the awards season. The themes of class division, labor exploitation, and the ethics of documentary filmmaking are highly relevant in current global economic contexts, making it a culturally significant release for Netflix and international audiences.

What to watch

The film will have a two-week U.S. theatrical run starting October 23, 2026, before streaming globally on Netflix on November 6, 2026. It will also screen at the Toronto and New York film festivals. As South Korea's official Oscar entry, it will be evaluated for the International Feature Film category in the upcoming awards season.