Jeon Do-yeon Stars in Lee Chang-dong's Possible Love, Opening in Select Cinemas Before Netflix
Jeon Do-yeon leads Possible Love, a new film from director Lee Chang-dong, which opens in select cinemas on October 23 and reaches Netflix on November 6, according to Netflix's own announcement. The film is a Netflix production, so audiences can see it on a big screen for a short run before it arrives on the streaming service.
Jeon plays Mi-ok, a woman who works at a mask factory, Variety reports. Sul Kyung-gu plays Ho-seok, Cho Yeo-jeong plays Ye-ji, and Zo In-sung plays Sang-woo. The film premiered in competition at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, the festival's second-highest award. Variety also reports that it is Lee's first film in eight years.
Lee's return to Venice came 24 years after his last appearance there. After its Italian debut, the film screened in Toronto and New York, The Hollywood Reporter notes.
The film now has an awards campaign behind it. South Korea chose Possible Love as its entry for the Academy Awards' best international feature category, which honours films made in languages other than English, Deadline reported in August. Netflix has also planned an Oscar push that promotes Jeon for best actress, the lead acting award, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The same outlet now says Jeon has emerged as a best-actress contender stirring Oscar buzz.
Jeon is no newcomer to major prizes. She has built a career that spans more than 30 years. In 2007 she became the first Korean actress to win the best actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival, for Secret Sunshine, which she made with Lee. That film was the first time the two worked together.
Lee himself said Jeon is the actress who represents an era in Korean film. Lee Byung-hun, the actor who received a Golden Globe nomination for Park Chan-wook's No Other Choice, said she holds a truly unique and unparalleled position in the Korean film industry. Jeon and Sul both describe Lee as a formative presence in their acting careers, The Hollywood Reporter reported in August.
For viewers, the choice is simple. The film is in select cinemas now, and it will be on Netflix from November 6. Anyone who wants to see it on a big screen has a short window to do so.
