What is the story behind Lee Chang Dong's film Possible Love?
Lee Chang Dong directed this movie, marking his seventh cinematic project, drawing from factual occurrences in 2009 when a domestic conglomerate dismissed a third of its workforce, amounting to 2,600 personnel, subsequent to which numerous former laborers took their own lives. The movie avoids capturing the raw heat of that labor struggle directly, choosing instead to focus on the characters during the subsequent period, a more ambiguous phase that resists straightforward interpretation. The project begins with an epigraph stating, “Thou shall not covet,” and develops into a story about characters who covet each other’s jobs, designer clothes, spouses, and general positionality. The narrative follows Mi-ok, played by Jeon Do-Yeon, who is the long-suffering wife of a laid-off husband named Ho-seok, portrayed by Sul Kyung-gu. At the memorial service for a coworker who died by suicide, Mi-ok and Ho-seok cross paths with another couple: a documentary filmmaker named Ye-ji, played by Cho Ye-jeong, and her wealthy husband, Sang-woo, played by Zo In-sung.
How did Lee Chang Dong shape his political views?
Growing up in Daegu, a locality widely recognized as a conservative stronghold in Korea, Lee attended school there through university and was initially steeped in that conservative disposition. Until his graduation from higher education in the spring of 1980, he did not fully realize the depth of the conservative sentiments held by citizens in his hometown. That spring, in May of 1980, he participated in student protests opposing the administration of Chun Doo-hwan. It was out on the streets that he encountered the hardline sentiments of citizens in a visceral and shocking way. These formative experiences meant that his general outlook toward reality needed to be connected with an inherent tension.
What are the ethical questions surrounding the camera in the film?
The film grapples with difficult questions about how a creator can portray another person’s story and pain, what position the storyteller occupies, and how much distance should be maintained from the subjects. According to the interview with The Verge, these dilemmas connect directly to worries that fellow director Bong Joon Ho once expressed over drinks before making Mother, where he wrestled with whether he had the right to portray a mother’s pain. The fictional documentary filmmaker Ye-ji pursues a near-vampiric level of access to her subjects. This dynamic highlights the reality that directors, reporters, and those who deal in other people’s stories fail to mirror the exact individuals they depict on screen. Even if they originated from a lower class, their position in life has shifted. When personal anguish plays out vividly before their eyes, storytellers must decide whether to capture the moment on tape, step away from the camera, or even stage and produce the moment to create a specific effect. The moment a person holds a camera, they possess power, and the device operates according to that power.
How does the collaboration between Lee Chang Dong and Oh Jung-mi work?
Possible Love was created as a collaboration between Lee and screenwriter Oh Jung-mi, whom he met when she was a student at Korea National University of Arts. Lee notes that she stood out even among talented and ambitious students because she possessed creativity, strong writing skills, a distinct perspective, and the ability to step back and find meaning in things. As Lee grows older and more set in his ways, Oh serves as a precious friend who reliably jolts him out of his habits. The creative partnership involved significant struggle, as Lee repeatedly scrapped projects while they worked together, causing Oh to suffer. Despite this, she never left his side and continued to offer vital help throughout the development of the work.
How do other Korean directors influence each other's work?
While prominent directors like Lee Chang Dong, Bong Joon Ho, and Park Chan Wook know each other personally, they seldom talk about their work together. Lee suggests this connection possibly stems from pure coincidence, though it could also reflect an inevitable shared background, shaped by common experiences throughout modern Korean history. He recalls that before making Mother, Bong Joon Ho wanted to show him a finished script about a mother and his struggles with portraying her pain, though Bong ultimately never showed it after sobering up. Despite working separately, filmmakers who tell the stories of others ultimately hope to bring about some small change through their continuous efforts, even if they occupy a middle ground between capital and the world of their subjects.
Syed Aqeel — verified this story.
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