Lee Chang-dong wins Venice Film Festival Jury Grand Prix
South Korean director Lee Chang-dong received the Silver Lion — the Jury Grand Prix of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in Italy — for the film “Possible Love.” The award was presented at the festival’s closing ceremony in Venice on September 12, Korea Herald reports.
An award for Korean cinema
The film stars Jeon Do-yeon, Sol Kyung-gu, Jo In-sung and Jo Yeo-jeong. This is the first award for a Korean film at the Venice Film Festival since 2012, when Kim Ki-duk won the Golden Lion for the crime thriller “Pieta.” It is also the first time a Korean film has received the Jury Grand Prix.
In his speech, the director thanked the four actors and the film crew. He said he made the film to raise the question of what cinema can and should do at a time when the value of labor is weakening and human connections are increasingly breaking down.
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Plot and premiere
“Possible Love” is Lee Chang-dong’s first feature film in eight years since the 2018 movie “Burning.” The film tells the story of the intertwined lives of a laid-off worker and his wife, as well as a documentary filmmaker and her wealthy husband.
After its world premiere in Venice, the film received a seven-minute standing ovation and positive reviews. In addition to the Jury Grand Prix, it won the International Federation of Film Critics’ FIPRESCI prize for the best film in the competition program. Its South Korean premiere is scheduled for September 23, and the film will be available on Netflix from November 6.
In 2002, Lee Chang-dong’s drama “Oasis” brought the director the Silver Lion for Best Director. Moon So-ri, who played the leading role, also received the Marcello Mastroianni Award for young actors at the time.
