[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] “The structure of the film industry is changing, and no one can stop that change. Amid the evolution of film distribution—from theatrical releases to streaming services—these formats will ultimately have to coexist.”

Director Lee Chang-dong, returning after an eight-year hiatus with the Netflix film “Possible Love,” made these remarks at a production briefing held on the 25th at M Gallery in Mapo-gu, Seoul, saying, “I am very curious to see how audiences around the world will view and receive this film.”
Director Lee is one of Korea’s leading filmmakers, having directed films such as *Green Fish*, *Peppermint Candy*, *Oasis*, *Secret Sunshine*, *Poetry*, and *Burning*. “Possible Love” is his first new film in eight years since “Burning” was released in 2018. It has been recognized for its artistic merit, having received official invitations to the Competition section at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, the Special Presentations section at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, and the Main Slate section at the 64th New York Film Festival.
Notably, the director has partnered with the global online video service (OTT) Netflix. Given that Lee has traditionally focused on theatrical releases, his collaboration has drawn significant attention from both within and outside the film industry—from the production process to the release format.
He decided to make a film with Netflix in the first half of last year. “It was a time when the Korean film industry was struggling, and there were doubts about how much it would recover,” the director said. “Nevertheless, I believed the film had to be made.”
The film tells the story of two couples—a laid-off worker and his wife, and a documentary director and her husband—who come together to produce a documentary and are confronted with each other’s different lives and hidden desires. Jeon Do-yeon (as Mi-ok), Seol Kyung-gu (as Ho-seok), Jo In-sung (as Sang-woo), and Jo Yeo-jeong (as Ye-ji) star as the two couples. All four actors cited their absolute trust in Director Lee Chang-dong as the reason for taking on the roles.
Director Lee’s new film, his first in eight years, will premiere at the Venice Film Festival. It will then open in theaters in South Korea on the 23rd of next month, followed by a Netflix release in November.