Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love' Wins Rousing Ovation at Venice, Boosts Oscar Bid

Lee Chang-dong returned to the Venice Film Festival with "Possible Love," his first feature since "Burning," and the premiere sparked a seven-minute standing ovation in the Sala Grande. The cast—Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong—joined the director onstage as applause continued until staff halted it for the next screening. Early trade reviews were uniformly glowing, praising the film’s craftsmanship and its portrayal of two married couples from opposite socioeconomic backgrounds whose lives become entangled.

Produced and fully financed by Netflix, the drama also carries a strong Oscar campaign after being selected by South Korea as its best-international-feature entry. It will appear at Toronto, New York, San Sebastián, Zurich, Vancouver and Busan before theatrical releases in South Korea, Australia, and several Western markets, with a global Netflix launch slated for early November. The festival jury, headed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, will announce the Golden Lion winner on Sept. 12.