Malaysian International Film Festival Awards Lifetime Achievement to Lee Chang-dong; Returns to Venice with New Film

72-year-old Korean director Lee Chang-dong makes his directorial return after eight years with his new work "Possibility of Love," which has been selected for the Main Competition section at the 83rd Venice Film Festival. Having previously won the Silver Lion for Best Director at Venice in 2002 with "Oasis," Lee is returning to the City of Water after a 24-year hiatus. He joked that it feels very fresh, saying, "I'm very much looking forward to it, and also a bit nervous—I don’t know if people will like it or not."

"Possibility of Love" brings together a powerhouse cast of Korean actors including Sol Kyung-gu, Jeon Do-yeon, Jo In-sung, and Cho Yeo-jeong, making it one of the focal points of this year’s Venice Film Festival Main Competition. This marks Lee Chang-dong’s return to the main competition section at Venice since presenting "Oasis" in 2002. Talking about returning to Venice, he expressed that it feels quite new, and he is looking forward to seeing the audience reaction at the premiere. "There will be a premiere, and I am looking forward to it, but also a little nervous because I don’t know how the public will react. I hope everyone will like the film."

Lee Chang-dong was awarded the "Lifetime Achievement Award" at this year's Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest). During a media interview, he modestly stated that he didn't feel he had made any great contribution, but would take this award as encouragement to continue creating. Visiting Malaysia for the first time, he also revealed that he currently has no plans to shoot a film in Malaysia, but is curious about the country’s multicultural nature and hopes to have an opportunity in the future to learn more about the stories behind its different communities and societies, and incorporate those elements into his films.