South Korea has selected Lee Chang-dong’s feature Possible Love
as its Oscar submission for the 99th Academy Awards. Reuniting stars Jeon Do-yeon and Sul Kyung-gu, the Netflix film explores a volatile class divide against the backdrop of a two-year factory workers strike, premiering at the Venice Film Festival.
Director Lee Chang-dong has returned with his first feature film in eight years, bringing a story rooted in real-world labor conflict to the international stage. Selected by the Korean Film Council as South Korea’s official entry into the international feature Oscar race, Possible Love
made its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival, drawing immediate comparisons to the societal friction of Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar-winning film Parasite
.
From a 2009 Labor Dispute to a Global Screenplay
The genesis of the project stretches back to 2009, when a devastating mass layoff at a major South Korean company and the suppression of a workers strike sent shockwaves through society. Although the director initially put the concept on the back burner because the reality felt too difficult to translate into narrative fiction, changing labor dynamics over the years provided a new way in.
Co-written by Lee and his Burning
collaborator Oh Jung-mi, the narrative follows Mi-ok, a mask factory worker whose once-proud husband, Ho-seok, has been laid off following a two-year workers strike. While Ho-seok hides his inner shame behind a quiet demeanor, Mi-ok remains spirited. Their lives intersect with Ye-ji, an affluent documentary filmmaker chronicling the striking workers, and her wealthy husband, Sang-woo. In an effort to secure an interview with the reluctant Ho-seok, Ye-ji invites the struggling family to her lavish coastal home, setting off an intense collision of privilege and working-class reality.
To capture the documentary element authentically, Lee cast a real-life documentary director and cinematographer as Ye-ji’s crew. Cho prepared for her role by consulting documentary master Frederick Wiseman, drawing on insights into the complex tension between the radical politics of nonfiction filmmaking and the personal privilege required to practice it.
Oscar Ambitions and Streaming Rollout Deadlines
The 15-member selection committee at the Korean Film Council praised the film’s mise-en-scène, characteristically deep humanism, and the density of its portrait of class and desire. Pointing unusually directly to its awards potential, the committee highlighted strong North American media interest and a Netflix awards campaign reportedly targeting the best picture category alongside the international feature race.
The production brings together a powerhouse creative team, produced by Pinehouse Film, Anonymous Content, and NOWFILM. The cast features Jeon Do-yeon—who won the Cannes best actress prize for Lee’s Secret Sunshine
in 2007—alongside Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung, and Cho Yeo-jeong.
Release Schedule and Festival Trajectory
Following its Venice debut, Possible Love
heads to the Toronto International Film Festival for its North American premiere. The film opens theatrically in South Korea on September 23, satisfying the Academy’s country-of-origin theatrical eligibility deadline of September 30. U.S. audiences will see a limited theatrical release beginning on October 23, followed by a global streaming debut on Netflix on November 6. The 99th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 14, 2027.
