Source: Segye Ilbo · 문화

What happened

According to Segye Ilbo, director Lee Chang-dong’s new film Possible Love (가능한 사랑) won the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) prize at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. FIPRESCI announced on September 12 via its website that Possible Love was selected as the critics’ award winner in the festival’s competition section.

The jury praised the film for portraying “subtle dynamics” with “perfect pacing and multiple layers,” adding that “perfect rhythm and restrained narrative stand out.” FIPRESCI is the global association of film critics; its Venice prize goes to a festival entry judged outstanding from a critical perspective, distinct from the main Golden Lion jury awards.

The breakdown

Segye notes this is Lee’s first Venice FIPRESCI win since Oasis (2002) — a gap of 24 years. At that earlier edition, Oasis also collected the best director prize and a best new actress honor for Moon So-ri.

Possible Love is Lee’s first feature in eight years following Burning (2018). The plot follows two married couples — a laid-off worker and his wife, and a documentary filmmaker and her husband — who meet while a documentary is being produced. The cast listed in Segye includes Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Cho Yeo-jeong, and Zo In-sung.

Release calendar from the article:

• Domestic theatrical opening: September 23
• Global Netflix launch: November 6

Segye does not report ticket links, runtime, or competition-section placement beyond the FIPRESCI result.

Why it matters outside Korea

Venice’s critics’ prize is a festival-insider signal, not a box-office scoreboard. For Korean cinema students, festival travelers, and Netflix-region viewers who follow auteur film rather than K-drama algorithms, the timing is concrete: a major Lee return just earned European critical validation 11 days before a limited Korea theatrical window and roughly eight weeks before a scheduled worldwide stream.

The 24-year echo with Oasis also reframes Lee’s Venice history — this is not a debut breakthrough but a second critics’ prize on a director already associated with Cannes and Venice laurels elsewhere in his career.

What travelers and expats should watch

• September 23 Korea theaters: Segye lists a domestic opening on that date — treat it as a limited theatrical chance to see Possible Love on a big screen before the November 6 Netflix drop, not as proof of nationwide wide release. Check local cinema listings once they post; the article does not name chains or cities.
• November 6 Netflix: the piece states a global Netflix launch on that date — useful for overseas viewers planning watch parties, but do not assume every territory gets day-one access until Netflix confirms regional availability.
• FIPRESCI vs Golden Lion: if you follow awards-season chatter, separate the critics’ prize (reported here) from Venice’s main competition jury outcomes — Segye’s story is specifically about FIPRESCI, not a claim about the top festival trophy.

Context

Read this as a critics’ award attached to a dated release ladder, not as proof of commercial dominance or Oscar inevitability. Segye’s stack is FIPRESCI at Venice → Sept. 23 Korea theaters → Nov. 6 Netflix, with the 24-year Oasis parallel as historical color. The non-wire insight: Lee’s return is landing critical praise first and audience access second — festival prestige as runway, not finale.

Source

Segye Ilbo · 문화: 이창동 신작 ‘가능한 사랑’, 베네치아영화제서 국제비평가연맹상 수상 — Korean original; FIPRESCI announcement, jury praise, Oasis history, cast, plot summary, and release dates from Segye; paraphrased for briefing; read the original for full Korean text.