Lee Chang-dong’s First New Film in 8 Years, “Possible Love,” Invited to Toronto With Jeon Do-yeon and Sol Kyung-gu

The return of a master filmmaker and an anatomy of secret desire—breaking eight years of silence

One of South Korea’s most influential film figures, director ‘Lee Chang-dong’, is breaking a long silence of eight years and stepping onto the global stage before cinephiles worldwide. His new film ‘Possible Love’ has been given an official invite to the ‘Special Presentations’ section of the ‘51st Toronto International Film Festival’ (TIFF), which opens Sept. 10, drawing intense attention from the international film community.

On the 20th, Netflix officially announced that director Lee Chang-dong’s ‘Possible Love’ will be featured in the ‘Special Presentations’ section, one of the festival’s core programs. Marking the first return since ‘Burning’, which shook critics around the world in 2018, this comeback work delivers a narrative that methodically digs into the hidden desires and fractures of two married couples whose lives become intertwined through documentary production.

In particular, the film has been at the center of attention since the casting stage, with a momentous lineup. The overwhelming acting synergy generated by top-tier performers representing the Korean film industry—‘Jeon Do-yeon’, ‘Sol Kyung-gu’, ‘Jo In-sung’, and ‘Cho Yeo-jeong’—is one of ‘Possible Love’’s most powerful assets.

From Cannes to Toronto, a tribute to today’s top artists

‘Special Presentations’, the festival slot in which the work was invited, is the event’s main showcase, selecting new films from world-renowned master directors and top actors. Masterpieces that left a deep mark on Korean film history—such as ‘Parasite’, ‘Decision to Leave’, and ‘The Handmaiden’—have previously passed through this stage.

‘Cameron Bailey’, the executive director leading the Toronto Film Festival, heaped exceptional praise for the invitation. He described ‘Possible Love’ as “a powerful masterpiece that rigorously explores the dynamics of a marital relationship, the layers of class, and, further still, the medium of film itself,” adding that it is “a work that once again proves ‘Lee Chang-dong’’s unparalleled standing as one of today’s greatest cineastes.”

He then added, “It’s an honor to bring an artist who has honed overpowering energy and cool precision back to Toronto,” conveying unwavering confidence in the film. Having shared deep creative rapport with Toronto through ‘Oasis’ and ‘Miryang’, director Lee Chang-dong—after being appointed as a jury member for the competition section in 2018—will again use this new film to reaffirm his special connection with the festival.