October 23, 2026

VIFF 2026 | Lee Chang-dong Documents 'Possible Love' in South Korea

"But his eyes are so sad."
Cho Yeo-jeong Jeon Do-yeon Sul Kyung-gu Lee Chang-dong | Possible Love Netflix | VIFF 2026
Pinehouse Film / Anonymous Content
VIFF 2026—Possible Love (aka Ga-neung-han sa-rang), South Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong's first film in eight years, revolves around two couples from opposit socioeconomic backgrounds in a class-conscious drama compared to the similarly themed Parasite (also co-starring actress Cho Yeo-jeong). It's another maserfully slow burn interpersonal drama of simmering (sexual) tension.

Starring Jeon Do-yeon with Sul Kyung-gu and Cho with Zo In-sung as the two central couples, the former are striking labour workers caught in the trap of anti-union capitalism ravaging the Korean economy (reminiscent of No Other Choice), with the latter contrasting them as a wealthy and American-educated documentary filmmaker and her investor husband. They seemingly get along well after bonding over shared interests spreading awareness of abusive working conditions. Slowly, we learn more about how their disparity divides them despite their common values.

What's most novelistic about the film's building premise is how each character covets elements of each other's lives. As Cho's documentarian films and exploits her new friends, seen through casual voyeurism while becoming increasingly entangled with your subjects, things get more complicated, not unlike in the actual documentary You Can See Everything.

Director Lee (also the name of Cho's filmmaker character) "documents" another sprawling South Korean character drama of rich socioeconomic observations. We get an insightful view the driving forces that both divide and tie the working class and privileged ruling class.

Possible Love screened at the 2026 Vancouver International Film Festival as part of the Special Presentations series at the Vancouver Playhouse. It also screens at the VIFF Centre and will be available to stream on Netflix starting November 7th.


More | YVArcade / Exclaim / Indiewire

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