Lee Chang-dong’s films are heading to Netflix worldwide, and the reason is simple: his new movie just won Venice’s top prize. “Possible Love” took the Silver Lion (Grand Jury Prize) at the Venice Film Festival, and the streamer is expanding its collection of his work to mark the occasion.
Netflix has been bringing older Lee titles into its library in additional countries ahead of the new release, rolling them out market by market, and the move now lets viewers around the world watch titles like “Secret Sunshine” and “Peppermint Candy.”.
The Venice Prize That Started It
“Possible Love” is Lee’s first film in eight years. It opens in South Korean theaters Sept. 23, then moves to Australia and New Zealand on Oct. 22, followed by the U.K., Japan, the U.S. and Canada on Oct. 23. The film premieres globally on Netflix on Nov. 6.
Lee’s latest prize comes after a long run of festival success. His films have already won top honors at Venice and Cannes, and now his newest recognition arrived at the Toronto Film Festival’s 51st edition, where he became the first Korean filmmaker to take home its Ebert Director Award.
What Netflix Is Adding
Netflix has made Lee’s older films available in certain regions at the same time as the new release. The schedule runs as follows:
- “Green Fish” and “Secret Sunshine” began streaming in late August in Italy, the U.K., France, Australia and New Zealand.
- “Peppermint Candy” and “Oasis” joined the platform in Italy and Spain on Sept. 4.
- “Poetry” and “Burning” are planned for release in markets including Japan, the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The release schedule varies from place to place, and certain regions will receive the movies with subtitle choices across up to six languages, including Korean.
A Decade of Festival Prizes
Lee made his directorial debut with “Green Fish” in 1997, and since then he has assembled a body of work that encompasses “Peppermint Candy,” “Oasis,” “Secret Sunshine,” “Poetry”, and “Burning.”.
He has picked up top honors at film festivals for his work, including a directing prize at Venice in 2002 for “Oasis”, and the screenplay award at Cannes in 2010 for “Poetry”. His newest distinction came in the form of the Ebert Director Award at Toronto.
The Story Behind ‘Possible Love’
A documentary shoot brings together two pairs of people whose lives cross paths. One man has lost both his job and his wife, forming a couple. The second couple is made up of a woman who directs documentaries and her own husband.
Each actor’s inner desires and struggles were drawn out by the film, revealing what they had kept hidden from view. The cast includes Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong. This South Korean entry competes for the best international feature film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
The Catalog’s Weight
These additions all come with genuine substance behind them. Lee’s career began with “Green Fish”, which launched it in 1997. He took a directing prize at Venice with “Oasis”, in 2002. And “Poetry” brought home the screenplay award at Cannes, in 2010.
His earliest pieces include “Secret Sunshine” and “Peppermint Candy”, which are among the first works he produced.
A complete set of a director’s body of work, stretching from his first film through his latest effort, now exists in several tongues and across various regions.
What Comes Next
“Possible Love” hits theaters in South Korean theaters Sept. 23, then expands to Australia and New Zealand Oct. 22, followed by the U.K., Japan, the U.S. and Canada on Oct. 23. The film premieres globally on Netflix on Nov. 6.
The Netflix expansion keeps moving forward into the fall, with releases in Japan, the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand scheduled for “Poetry” and “Burning”.
A Catalog Worth Watching
Over the past two decades, Lee Chang-dong’s films have built a reputation through repeated festival honors. The Venice win for “Possible Love” marks the most recent entry in that ongoing story.
The rollout of his films on Netflix has brought his complete body of work together in one place for audiences around the world to explore. The catalog is now complete, even though the expansion is still unfolding.
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