Lee Chang-dong’s “Possible Love” has won at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
At the closing ceremony of the Festival held on 12 September, actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, who served as the jury president, announced Lee as the winner of the Silver Lion Grand Jury.
This marks Lee’s first win at the Venice Film Festival in 24 years, after winning Best Director award for “Oasis” in 2002. The 2026 drama film follows the intertwined lives of two married couples leading completely opposite lives.
Lee took the stage and received the trophy from director Johnnie To, who served as a juror this year. He expressed, “This film would not have been released to the world without the patience of countless people.”
He thanked his younger brother, Lee Joon-dong, the CEO of Now Film, as well as lead actors Jeon Do-yeon, Sol Kyung-gu, Jo In-sung, and Jo Yeo-jeong, his staff, Netflix, and his family.
He concluded his speech by saying, “I made this work to ask what film can and must do in an era where labour is disappearing and human relationships are being severed. I understand this award as a call to continue asking that question.”
The movie has also been selected as the South Korean entry for the Best International Feature Film category for the 99th Academy Awards.
