At its global premiere on 6/9, the audience began applauding as the end credits rolled and the lights illuminated the Sala Grande auditorium. The cast, including Jeon Do Yeon, Sul Kyung Gu, Jo In Sung, and Cho Yeo Jeong, embraced, visibly moved by the audience's reception.

By the sixth minute, festival organizers guided director Lee Chang Dong and the cast out of the auditorium. According to Variety, the applause might have continued longer had the team not departed.

"Possible Love" was a highly anticipated entry in the main competition category, the Golden Lion, at this year's Venice Film Festival. The project marks director Lee Chang Dong's return after eight years, following "Burning" (2018). He co-wrote the screenplay with Oh Jung Mi. The film follows two families from different social strata: one where the husband recently lost his job, and another involving a wealthy couple making a documentary about injustices faced by factory workers. Their lives intersect after a funeral.

The work explores themes of social class and aspiration, bringing together many actors who previously collaborated with Lee Chang Dong, such as Jeon Do Yeon ("Secret Sunshine") and Sul Kyung Gu ("Peppermint Candy"). It also features two actors working with him for the first time: Jo In Sung ("Escape From Mogadishu") and Cho Yeo Jeong ("Parasite").

Critics lauded the filmmaker's approach to exploring social issues through everyday narratives. New York Magazine noted that while "Possible Love" is not an obscure film with many hidden meanings, it impresses with its portrayal of class conflict and the hidden aspects of human desires.

Hollywood Reporter praised Lee Chang Dong's observational skills and psychological depth, stating that the director maintains his high caliber in his seventh work. Screen Daily added that "Possible Love" exposes human longing for what they lack or believe they have lost in modern life.

Director Lee Chang Dong (left) with actors Sul Kyung Gu, Jeon Do Yeon, Cho Yeo Jeong, and Jo In Sung before the premiere of "Possible Love" at the 83rd Venice Film Festival on 6/9. *Photo: AFP*

Lee Chang Dong, 72, is a South Korean director who has garnered acclaim at many international film festivals. "Possible Love" marks Lee Chang Dong's first return to competition at Venice in nearly a quarter century. In 2002, he won the Silver Lion for "Oasis". Previously, the filmmaker made his mark with works such as "Green Fish", "Peppermint Candy", "Secret Sunshine", and "Poetry".

Lee Chang Dong once stated that he is not a director who easily embarks on a film project. Before each project, he needs to clearly define what the work means to himself, the audience, and cinema. This is also why "Possible Love" took a significant amount of time to complete. After Venice, the film will continue to participate in the Toronto and New York film festivals before its theatrical release in the US on 23/10 and global streaming debut from 6/11.

Before the screening of "Possible Love", Lee Chang Dong explained the film's title, posing the question: "What is a love that can become real?" According to the director, love stories often portray relationships that cannot reach a conclusion or cannot happen. Therefore, he wanted to question the possibility of a love that could become real.

Cat Tien (according to Variety, Hollywood Reporter)