Netflix's 30th Korean Film Investment Pays Off With Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love' After 8-Year Wait

Global platform guarantees master filmmaker's independence, capping 30 investments in Korean cinema

Global streaming platform 'Netflix' officially congratulated master filmmaker 'Lee Chang-dong' on 'Possible Love' winning the 'Venice International Film Festival' Grand Jury Prize, reaffirming its strong, long-term partnership with South Korea's film industry.

Kang Dong-han, Netflix's vice president of Korean content, praised the win as proof that the director's distinctive, incisive perspective in 'Possible Love', along with the efforts of its top-tier cast and crew, had been validated on the world stage. He also made clear that Netflix plans to continue investing so a diverse range of Korean films can reach global audiences.

'Possible Love' is Lee Chang-dong's ambitious first film in eight years since 'Burning' (2018) and his first collaboration with 'Netflix'. It intricately weaves the stories of two couples from different social classes: Ho-seok (Seol Kyung-gu), a laid-off worker, and his wife, Mi-ok (Jeon Do-yeon), as well as Ye-ji (Jo Yeo-jeong), a documentary filmmaker who captures their lives through her lens, and her husband, Sang-woo (Jo In-sung).

At an earlier production presentation, Lee praised Netflix for its wholehearted support from the project's earliest stages and for fully protecting the creator's independence. He said he had been able to work in the freest environment of his career, demonstrating the ideal synergy between global capital and an auteur director.

'Netflix' began significantly expanding its investment in Korean films with director Bong Joon-ho's 'Okja' in 2017. It went on to launch a series of major, high-profile titles, including 'Time to Hunt' (2020), 'The Call' (2020) and 'Kill Boksoon' (2023). Including the new film, Netflix has released a total of 30 Korean original films to date.

The achievement marks another sweeping success for a 'Netflix' original film at one of the world's three major film festivals. The platform's major winners to date are:

• 2018: Director Alfonso Cuarón's 'Roma' (Golden Lion)

• 2021: Director Paolo Sorrentino's 'The Hand of God' (Grand Jury Prize)

• 2024: Director Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love' (Grand Jury Prize)