[Official] Lee Chang-dong of "Possible Love" wins the first-ever Ebert Director Award at TIFF for a Korean filmmaker... unanimous praise

*This content was translated by AI.

Netflix's film "Possible Love" successfully concluded its North American premiere screening at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival.

The Netflix film "Possible Love," officially invited to the Special Presentation section of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), held its North American premiere on the 14th (local time) at 6 p.m. at the Princess of Wales Theatre.

After making its world premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on the 6th and receiving glowing reviews, "Possible Love," which was selected by the juryWon Dae-sang-eul (수상), continued to draw enthusiastic responses from audiences in Toronto. In particular, director Lee Chang-dong became the first Korean filmmaker to receive the TIFF Ebert Award at the festival, marking a significant milestone and further amplifying the excitement in Toronto. "Possible Love" tells the story of two couples—a laid-off worker and his wife, and a documentary filmmaker and her husband—who meet to produce a documentary and confront their different lives and hidden desires.

First, the TIFF Ebert Director Award, which had previously garnered significant attention, was presented. The Tribute Awards ceremony held on the 13th at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel saw director Lee Chang-dong, along with actor Seol Kyeong-gu, Jo In-sung, and Cho Yeo-jeong, in attendance to brighten the occasion. For director Lee Chang-dong, who became the first Korean director to receive the TIFF Ebert Director Award, Seol Kyeong-gu, who has appeared alongside him in "Oasis" and "Peppermint Candy," personally presented the award, completing a particularly meaningful moment. As director Lee took the stage, all attendees present rose from their seats simultaneously to offer warm standing ovations, congratulating him on his win.

Director Lee Chang-dong said, "I have always believed that film is the medium that best helps us understand humanity, and I have made films to better understand people. Yet, the more I make films, the more I realize how difficult it is to truly comprehend human beings. In an era where AI without a self increasingly takes over human roles, and humans themselves seem to be gradually losing their sense of self, I believe film must still tell stories about the humanity we do not yet understand. 'Possible Love' was such a small attempt. I will accept this award, given in the name of Roger Ebert, as encouragement to continue making such films. I am grateful to Netflix for enabling the creation of this film, and above all, I would like to express my gratitude to all the staff and actors who worked on it." His acceptance speech drew warm applause and strong resonance from many in attendance.

On the afternoon of September 14 local time, ahead of the North American premiere, director Lee Chang-dong and actors Seol Kyeong-gu, Jo In-sung, and Jo Yeo-jeong appeared at the red carpet event, capturing the attention of many audience members and media personnel. The four warmly greeted fans who visited the red carpet and posed for photos, offering generous fan service that added vibrancy to the scene.

The North American premiere screening at the Princess of Wales Theatre was packed to capacity with all 1,721 seats filled by audience members. The Special Presentation section of the Toronto International Film Festival showcases new works from globally acclaimed directors and actors, highlighting films that balance both popular appeal and artistic merit; consequently, local audience interest in Director Lee Chang-dong's latest film "Possible Love" was equally intense. Before the screening, Director Lee Chang-dong joined actors Seol Kyeong-gu, Jo In-sung, and Jo Yeo-jung on stage to greet the audience directly. Following the screening, they engaged in a question-and-answer session lasting approximately 25 minutes with the cast, sharing various insights about the film. Director Lee's unique directing style, which sharply captures slices of society while illuminating universal humanity, left a profound impression on North American audiences and elicited enthusiastic responses from local viewers.

During the question-and-answer session on that day, sincere stories about the work were shared. First, director Lee Chang-dong pointed out the message running through the film, stating, "In an era where labor is gradually disappearing and its value is fading, the reality of people losing their identity and self is not a problem unique to Korea." Following this, Seol Kyeong-gu conveyed his unique reflections, saying, "It took 23 years from 'Oasis' to 'A Love That Can Be.' The director was exactly as he used to be, and I also tried to return to 23 years ago, longing for those memories."

Additionally, he expressed his affection for the set by saying, "While the director's past film sets were solemn and austere, thanks to actors Jo In-sung and Jo Yeo-jung, this time we were able to film in a very enjoyable and moving way." Jo In-sung explained, "Through the character 'Sang-woo' that the director sought to portray, I aimed to offer a new interpretation of the chaebols or capitalists we see in reality," and added, "Since there was no correct answer, I had many conversations with the director on set and approached it with an open mind; as a result, while portraying the character, I actually felt even greater freedom." Jo Yeo-jung shared, "Before filming, the director told me that the character 'Yeji' might represent the director's own perspective in making the film, which made my shoulders feel heavy," and expressed deep gratitude by saying, "However, thanks to the environment created on set that allowed me to naturally blend into the character, I was able to exist fully as 'Yeji'."

Meanwhile, "Possible Love" will be released in theaters on September 23 and made available via Netflix on November 6.

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*This content was translated by AI.