Actor Sul Kyung-gu recently shared the honest and compelling reasons behind his decision to star in the Netflix film ‘Possible Love’.
On the afternoon of the 9th, an interview with Sul Kyung-gu, the lead actor of the Netflix movie ‘Possible Love’, was held at a cafe in Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
The Netflix film ‘Possible Love’ (directed by Lee Chang-dong, written by Lee Chang-dong and Oh Jung-mi, produced by Finehouse Film, Anonymous Content, and Now Film, presented by Netflix, distributed by NEW) depicts the intersecting lives of a laid-off worker and his wife, alongside a documentary director and her husband. The two couples meet to shoot a documentary and ultimately confront their different lives and hidden desires. This marks the grand return of master director Lee Chang-dong, known for masterpieces such as ‘Green Fish’, ‘Peppermint Candy’, ‘Oasis’, ‘Secret Sunshine’, ‘Poetry’, and ‘Burning’, after an 8-year hiatus.
Director Lee Chang-dong earned the Silver Lion Jury Grand Prize at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival held in September. This is the second-highest honor right below the Golden Lion. It marks 14 years since a Korean film last won a trophy in the competition section, following Kim Ki-duk’s ‘Pieta’ (2012), and it is the first time a Korean film has won the Jury Grand Prize. Having previously won the Best Director award (Silver Lion) for ‘Oasis’ (2002), Director Lee is enjoying glory at the Venice Film Festival once again 24 years later. Furthermore, domestic and international media outlets are already predicting that ‘Possible Love’ will land a Best Picture nomination at the 98th Academy Awards next March, with Jeon Do-yeon nominated for Best Actress.
In the film, Sul Kyung-gu plays Hoseok, a laid-off factory worker, Jeon Do-yeon plays his wife Mi-ok, Jo Yeo-jeong plays documentary director Yeji, and Jo In-sung plays Yeji’s husband Sang-woo. As documentary director Yeji approaches the Hoseok-miok couple to shoot a documentary about laid-off workers, the lives of the four individuals take unexpected turns.
Reflecting on reuniting with Director Lee Chang-dong 24 years after ‘Peppermint Candy’ (2000) and ‘Oasis’ (2002), Sul Kyung-gu confessed, “I wanted to do it this time simply because it was Lee Chang-dong. I wanted to do it no matter what. If casting offers went out and I couldn’t do it due to scheduling, news articles would come out about another actor taking the role. That thought was so terrifying. I couldn’t bear the thought of reading news about someone else playing my character. I just couldn’t stand the idea of another actor working with Director Lee Chang-dong. It was horrifying.”>
He continued, “After I made up my mind to do the project, In-sung called me. Even back then, I hadn’t read the script yet. The director asked me why I wasn’t asking for the script or sharing my impressions after reading it. That was when I finally learned the specifics of the movie’s plot. When I actually read the text, it felt like reading a novel, leaving a deep lingering resonance. It felt very similar to how I felt back during the film ‘Peppermint Candy’βdeeply resonant like a novel.”>
Previously, ‘Possible Love’ was selected as South Korea’s official submission for the International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards, drawing significant attention. Expectations are high to see if Korean cinema can make history once again, following the monumental success of ‘Parasite’ six years ago.
The ‘Possible Love’ team has joined the official Oscar race as the Academy begins selecting nominees. Sul Kyung-gu shared, “I just go wherever I’m called and follow along. Even in October, I briefly returned for the Busan International Film Festival before heading overseas again. This is the first time in my life I’ve traveled abroad this much. The director is already out there. They say the Oscar race schedule is enough to make your nose bleed, but since the director is standing strong out there, I wouldn’t even dare to complain if my nose started bleeding.” His candid remarks brought laughter to the room.
Meanwhile, ‘Possible Love’ opened in select theaters in September and was released globally to over 190 countries via Netflix on the 6th.
