Lee Chang Dong ponders the ethics of the camera

You can watch the film "Possible Love" in select US theaters starting October 23rd, with a global Netflix release on November 6th.

Director Lee Chang Dong's new film, "Possible Love," is inspired by a 2009 incident where a Korean conglomerate laid off 2,600 employees, leading to multiple suicides. The film, however, focuses on the aftermath and the characters' subsequent desires and covetousness for each other's lives, jobs, and spouses. The narrative follows Mi-ok and Ho-seok, a couple affected by the layoffs, who encounter a documentary filmmaker, Ye-ji, and her wealthy husband, Sang-woo. Lee discussed with The Verge his film's exploration of class, labor, and the ethical complexities of filmmaking, particularly the role and power of the camera. He also shared insights into his political upbringing in conservative Daegu and how it shaped his perspective, drawing parallels to the struggles filmmakers face when depicting others' pain. "Possible Love" is set for a limited US theatrical release on October 23rd and a global Netflix release on November 6th.

Lee Chang Dong's "Possible Love" delves into the ethical considerations of filmmaking, specifically the "ethics of the camera" and the filmmaker's power dynamic with subjects. The film questions whether documentarians, like the character Ye-ji, have the right to exploit others' suffering for their art, even if they originate from similar backgrounds.

This exploration highlights a broader tension in storytelling: the gap between a subject's lived experience and the filmmaker's positionality, and the potential for narrative material to become a vehicle for the filmmaker's own ambitions. The film also reflects director Lee's own journey from conservative roots to questioning societal structures, suggesting that even fictional narratives can serve as a form of societal commentary or even catharsis for characters.