Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong calls 'Possible Love' attempt to understand humans

Korean maestro Lee Chang-dong has said his award-winning film "Possible Love" came as part of efforts to understand and speak about humans in an age where the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) is growing, Netflix said Wednesday.

Lee made the remarks as he received the TIFF Ebert Director Award, a lifetime achievement honor presented at the Toronto International Film Festival, in a ceremony held in the Canadian city on Sunday (Canadian time), according to the streaming platform, the distributor of the film.

Lee is the first Korean filmmaker to win the award. Korean actor Sul Kyung-gu, who appeared in three of Lee's films — "Peppermint Candy" (2000), "Oasis" (2002) and "Possible Love" — presented the award to the director.

"I thought film was a medium which is most helpful in understanding humans and have made films because of this reason," he was quoted as saying. "But as I continued to make films, I also came to realize how difficult it is to understand humans."

"In an era where AI, which does not have an ego, gradually replaces humans and where humans appear to be losing their egos, I still believe that films should speak about humans," Lee said, calling "Possible Love" a small attempt to do so.

He expressed gratitude for the award, saying it encouraged him to continue making films.

Accompanying Lee in Toronto were three of the four lead actors of the film — Jeon Do-yeon, Sul, Cho Yeo-jeong and Zo In-sung — that won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival last week.

In a conversation with the audience following the North American premiere of the film on Monday, Lee noted how the disappearance of values such as labor, identity and self is not only a problem in Korean but a universal issue.

Zo, who played the role of Sang-woo, the affluent husband of documentary filmmaker Ye-ji in "Possible Love," said he tried to portray a new side of the wealthy through his role.

"Because there was no set answer, I approached (the role) with an open mind at the scene through many conversations with Lee and because of that I could feel a great sense of liberation as I acted," the actor said.

Cho, who portrayed Ye-ji, also thanked the director.

"I felt pressured after Lee told me before filming that the character of Ye-ji may behold his own perspective as a director," she said. "But because he created an environment where I could fully immerse myself in the character, I could wholly exist as Ye-ji," she said.

"Possible Love" is Lee's first feature film in eight years, following the critically acclaimed "Burning" (2018). It follows the intertwined lives of a laid-off worker and his wife and a documentary maker and her affluent husband.

The film became the first Korean film to win a prize at the Venice film fest since Kim Ki-duk clinched the Golden Lion for his crime thriller "Pieta" in 2012. It also marked the first time a Korean film has won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize.

"Possible Love" is set for release in Korea next Wednesday and will be available on Netflix starting Nov. 6.