Lee Chang-dong returns to Venice competition after 24 years

Director Lee Chang-dong is returning to the Venice competition section after 24 years, bringing his new film "Possible Love" into contention for the Golden Lion against some of the world's most celebrated filmmakers. The film also marks his first feature in eight years since "Burning."

The 83rd Venice International Film Festival opened Wednesday (local time) at the Sala Grande of the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido island in Venice, Italy. Lee is among the world directors whose new works were selected for the main competition of this year's 11-day festival.

The opening film is "Ink," the new work by Danny Boyle, director of "Trainspotting," "28 Days Later" and "Slumdog Millionaire." The film chronicles how Rupert Murdoch and Larry Lamb founded the British tabloid The Sun in 1969.

"Possible Love" is by far the most consequential Korean entry at this year's Venice, and the only Korean film invited to the main competition. Its selection also means Korean cinema has reached the competition section in two consecutive years, following Park Chan-wook's "It Can't Be Helped" last year.

Lee's return carries particular weight. It is his first appearance in the Venice competition since 2002, when "Oasis" earned him the Silver Lion for Best Director. At the time, Moon So-ri won the Marcello Mastroianni Award.

"Possible Love" centers on two couples — a laid-off worker and his wife, and a documentary filmmaker and her husband — who meet through the making of a film and find themselves confronting each other's lives, relationships and hidden desires. The cast includes Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Jo In-sung and Jo Yeo-jeong.

The film will have its world premiere Sunday. Given that it is Lee's first feature in eight years, the initial reaction from Venice audiences is drawing intense attention. The director is said to be eager to see how viewers respond to a work he has spent so long crafting.

The competition lineup is formidable. Martin McDonagh's "Wild Horse Nine," Werner Herzog's "Bucking Bastard" and Hirokazu Kore-eda's "Look Back" are among the titles vying for the Golden Lion.

The last time a Korean film won the Golden Lion — Venice's top prize — was in 2012, when Kim Ki-duk's "Pieta" took the honor. A win for "Possible Love" would mark the first Golden Lion for Korean cinema in 14 years.

For Lee, the festival carries deep personal significance. He is back on the Venice competition stage 24 years after winning the directing prize for "Oasis," and how the world receives his long-awaited return is one of the central storylines of this year's event.

The 83rd Venice International Film Festival runs through Sept. 12. The Golden Lion and other major awards will be announced at the closing ceremony.