Possible Love is South Korea’s official selection for the Oscars
South Korea’s official selection for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love earned the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival in September. The Korea Film Council cited the film’s visual craftsmanship and character depth.
The drama marks Lee’s first film in eight years, following his feature Burning, which made the shortlist for the 2019 Oscars but missed the final five nominations. South Korea’s only prior nomination in the category remains Parasite, which won in 2020. Possible Love is presently placed among the top five contenders in Gold Derby’s Oscar predictions for Best International Feature, while Lee holds the 10th position for Best Director.
Married Couples from Opposite Social Classes Intersect
The film follows two married couples from opposite ends of Korean society whose lives intersect. Mi-ok, played by Jeon Do-yeon, experiences hardship after her husband Ho-seok, played by Sul Kyung-gu, is laid off from work. They cross paths with Ye-ji, a wealthy documentary filmmaker played by Cho Yeo-jeong, who is shooting a project about laid-off workers. When Mi-ok agrees to be filmed, she grows close to Ye-ji and becomes drawn to Ye-ji’s husband, Sang-woo, played by Zo In-sung.
The Korea Film Council highlighted the complex relationships between the characters in its selection notes. The narrative explores a summer getaway that exposes old wounds, unspoken tension, and hidden desires among the four characters. Ahead of its wider release, the film secured selections at major international events, premiering in Competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. Furthermore, the movie landed spots in the Special Presentations lineup at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, the Main Slate of the 64th New York Film Festival, the Zabaltegi-Tabakalera program at the 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival, the Gala Screening roster of the 22nd Zurich Film Festival, and the Special Presentations track of the 45th Vancouver International Film Festival.
Theatrical and Streaming Rollout Schedule
Written by Lee Chang-dong and Oh Jung-mi—who previously co-wrote Burning—and produced by Lee, the film began its theatrical rollout in Korea on September 23. Screenings in Australia follow on October 22, with the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Japan scheduled for October 23. The film will hold a select U.S. theatrical run beginning October 23 before launching globally on Netflix on November 6.
POSSIBLE LOVE, a new film from Lee Chang-dong, acclaimed director of Burning and Secret Sunshine, is South Korea's Official Selection for International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards®.Two married couples cross paths to film a documentary that causes them to face their… pic.twitter.com/IKxrLsTtKW
On critical aggregation platforms, the film holds a Certified Fresh rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes alongside a 93 score on Metacritic. In broader Oscar tracking, the project is ranked 11th for Best Original Screenplay and 17th for Best Picture.
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