Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love' Invited to Toronto Film Festival's Special Presentations

Lee Chang-dong's first film in eight years, the Netflix feature 〈Possible Love〉, has been officially invited to the Special Presentations section of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival.

〈Possible Love〉 follows two couples—a laid-off worker and his wife, and a documentary director and her husband—who meet to make a documentary and come face to face with differing lives and hidden desires. The film interweaves the lives of Mi-ok (Jeon Do-yeon), Ho-seok (Seol Kyung-gu), Sang-woo (Jo In-sung) and Ye-ji (Cho Yeo-jung), creating a subtle, intricate web of relationships.

The Toronto International Film Festival, which runs from September 10 to 20, is considered the largest film festival in North America. The Special Presentations section, where 〈Possible Love〉 has been invited, showcases new work by internationally noted directors and actors; previous Korean films invited include 〈Parasite〉, 〈Decision to Leave〉 and 〈The Handmaiden〉. The invitation will give 〈Possible Love〉 its North American premiere, marking its first screening for global audiences.

Cameron Bailey, executive chair of the Toronto International Film Festival, said, "Lee Chang-dong is an artist who possesses both overwhelming force and astonishing subtlety," adding, "〈Possible Love〉 is a powerful work that probes marriage, class and cinema itself with great depth. It further cements his reputation as one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers."

The first-look stills released with the announcement show the four characters standing side by side on a beach but each looking in a different direction, creating a tense, expectant mood that raises questions about the story.

〈Burning〉 Director Lee Chang-dong returns eight years after 〈Burning〉 with 〈Possible Love〉, which is set for a worldwide release on Netflix.