Director Lee Chang-dong's new film "Possible Love" won the jury grand prize, the second-highest award, at the Venice International Film Festival. It is the first time in 14 years that a Korean film has won in the Venice International Film Festival competition since director Kim Ki-duk's "Pieta" took the Golden Lion in 2012. This is the first time for the jury grand prize.
At the Venice International Film Festival closing ceremony on the 12th (local time), "Possible Love" was called as the winner of the jury grand prize (Silver Lion). Taking the stage, Lee said, "I thank the four who gave this film life: Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung, and Jo Yeo-jeong. This award is yours," crediting the lead actors.
Lee continued, "In an era where labor is disappearing, in an era where relationships between people are breaking, I made this film to ask what I can do with cinema and what cinema must do," and added, "I take this award to mean that I should keep asking those questions."
"Possible Love" is Lee's first new work in eight years since "Burning (2018)" and his first Netflix film. It follows a documentary director (Jo Yeo-jeong), married to a wealthy husband (Zo In-sung), as she films the lives of a couple of laid-off workers (Sul Kyung-gu, Jeon Do-yeon), portraying people from different class backgrounds confronting each other's lives and desires.
The top prize, the Golden Lion, went to director Mai Eltoukhy's "Woman Unknown." "Woman Unknown" also earned lead actor Mathilde Arcel the best actress award (Volpi Cup), making it a double winner.
The best director award (Silver Lion) went to director Ilya Khrzhanovsky's "DAU," and the best screenplay award went to director Stéphane Brizé's "A Good Little Soldier." The best actor award (Volpi Cup) went to John Malkovich for "Wild Horse Nine."