[31st BIFF] Director Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love' Draws Cheers (Comprehensive)

Jeon Do-yeon, Sol Kyung-gu, Jo In-sung, Cho Yeo-jeong Heat Up Busan50 Minutes of Jokes and Compliments Highlight Strong TeamworkDirector Lee Chang-dong and actors Jeon Do-yeon, Sol Kyung-gu, Cho Yeo-jeong, and Jo In-sung (from left) pose at the "Love Without a Cause" open talk event held at the Busan Cinema Center's Loop Theater in Haeundae-gu, Busan, on the afternoon of the 7th. /Busan=Kim Sung-ryeol, Reporter[THE FACT|Busan=Kim Saet-byeol, Reporter] The outdoor stage of the Busan International Film Festival was filled with enthusiastic cheers as director Lee Chang-dong, along with actors Jeon Do-yeon, Sol Kyung-gu, Jo In-sung, and Cho Yeo-jeong, appeared. It was a moment that proved the great interest in "Love Without a Cause."An open talk for the Netflix film "Love Without a Cause" (directed by Lee Chang-dong), which will be unveiled in the 'Icon' section at the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), was held on the outdoor stage of the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu, Busan, on the afternoon of the 7th. Director Lee Chang-dong and actors Jeon Do-yeon, Sol Kyung-gu, Jo In-sung, and Cho Yeo-jeong attended and shared various stories."Love Without a Cause" tells the story of two couples—a laid-off worker and his wife, and a documentary director and his husband—who meet to produce a documentary and confront their different lives and hidden desires.The film has received critical acclaim from domestic and international media, winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival and the TIFF Ebert Director's Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, among other accolades, making it the first Korean film to achieve such recognition.Fan interest was also high. In fact, when the "Love Without a Cause" team appeared, they were met with tremendous cheers and applause. Notably, many fans who had seen the film and sought them out were present, despite the film having been released for only two weeks.In response, Jo In-sung joked, "There must have been about 30,000 people," drawing laughter. Jeon Do-yeon said, "Thank you to everyone who came to hear our story.""Love Without a Cause" was actually a project conceived quite some time ago. Director Lee Chang-dong explained, "As the era shifted towards prioritizing profitability, the frustration of workers grew. A deep chasm formed between remaining and laid-off workers, to the point where they viewed each other as the living and the dead. Even among those who were laid off together, there was a collective psychological trauma where they disliked and hated each other." He added, "Witnessing this, I felt it wasn't just their problem, but a turning point in the very nature of the lives we live, and I wanted to make it into a film."However, the project fell through during pre-production, and over a decade passed. Director Lee stated, "I did research, wrote the script, and even had the casting of Jeon Do-yeon and Sol Kyung-gu mostly finalized. But I couldn't be sure if I had the right to tell this story, or what the meaning of presenting it as a feature film rather than a documentary would be. Ultimately, I abandoned the film, and a lot of time passed."Since then, the meaning of labor has rapidly diminished, and now, with the advent of the AI era, we are in a time where we don't even know if we will be able to work. Director Lee said, "Then, Oh Jeong-mi, who I work with, suggested we try telling the story of a documentary director. It was then that I realized the suffering of the workers might not be someone else's pain, but potentially my own story as a filmmaker. I thought that by examining the ethics and attitude with which we view them, I could ultimately tell my own story, and that's why I decided to make this film."Director Lee Chang-dong speaks at the "Love Without a Cause" open talk event held at the Busan Cinema Center's Loop Theater in Haeundae-gu, Busan, on the afternoon of the 7th. /Busan=Kim Sung-ryeol, ReporterJeon Do-yeon plays Mi-ok, the wife of laid-off worker Ho-seok, who works at a mask factory.When asked about her character development, Jeon Do-yeon said, "When I work with Director Lee, I don't try to overthink things. However, I believe we all live with anxiety, and Mi-ok is no different. Mi-ok, in particular, carries anxiety about protecting her family and her husband, and I felt a connection to that aspect of her character."Sol Kyung-gu plays Ho-seok, a laid-off worker who suffers from long-term aftereffects due to his experiences during a general strike and forced suppression.He recalled, "I acted thinking of myself as just me. When I first talked about the character with the director, he asked, 'What kind of person do you think Ho-seok is?' I replied, 'He's like me,' because I felt that both Ho-seok and I symbolized ordinary men, not special individuals. So, I started from the question, 'What if it were me?'"The "Love Without a Cause" open talk event, held at the Busan Cinema Center's Loop Theater in Haeundae-gu, Busan, on the afternoon of the 7th, saw the surrounding area bustling with attendees. /Busan=Kim Sung-ryeol, ReporterJo In-sung plays Sang-woo, Yeji's husband, who interacts with the couple Mi-ok and Ho-seok, treating them warmly while remaining enigmatic.Jo In-sung shared, "It was a character that made me think a lot, so I had many concerns about how to portray him. I thought Sang-woo's approach of trying to connect with people kindly but not getting too close resembled the relationship between an actor and the audience. From that perspective, I tried to understand the character deeply."He added, "The director's films do not present characters in a binary of good and evil. I also tried not to be prejudiced. I believe that as the audience watches the film, they will gradually come to accept why Sang-woo made certain choices and the life he has lived."Cho Yeo-jeong plays Yeji, a director filming a documentary that sheds light on the lives of laid-off workers.In fact, Yeji's perspective was also Director Lee's perspective. Therefore, it must have been a burden for the actress to convey and persuade the audience with Director Lee's viewpoint. Cho Yeo-jeong said, "Even before I knew the story, it was a burdensome and difficult character. However, from the moment I read the script, I was certain that as a director filming a documentary, Yeji should remain like a shadow, only looking at Mi-ok in this film."Director Lee Chang-dong and actors Jeon Do-yeon, Sol Kyung-gu, Jo In-sung, and Cho Yeo-jeong (from left) answer questions at the "Love Without a Cause" open talk event held at the Busan Cinema Center's Loop Theater in Haeundae-gu, Busan, on the afternoon of the 7th. /Busan=Kim Sung-ryeol, ReporterThe four actors had emphasized the warm atmosphere on set since the previous production presentation. Indeed, on this day as well, they showcased their strong teamwork through 50 minutes of jokes and compliments.Jeon Do-yeon remarked, "Sol Kyung-gu is a very selfish and gruff person. On the other hand, Jo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong are genuinely warm people. When the two of them finish filming and head back to Seoul, I used to say, 'Two warm people are leaving, and two gruff people are staying.'"Sol Kyung-gu, overhearing this, chimed in, "I really disliked Jo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong. Because of them, Jeon Do-yeon scolded me even more," humorously justifying his own selfishness.Finally, Director Lee confessed, "This is not a film that people typically find entertaining. Nevertheless, I'm worried that today's open talk might feel like the kind of conversation you have after making a fun movie."In response, Jeon Do-yeon quipped, "It's a fun movie among the ones directed by you. There are many comments saying, 'Director Lee Chang-dong is good at comedy.' We ask for your love for our fun movie, 'Love Without a Cause.'"Sol Kyung-gu announced, "It will be released in Korea on November 6th. It will also premiere worldwide on the 23rd, so if you want to see it in theaters, please go abroad. I'm confident that 2 hours and 43 minutes will fly by."Jo In-sung shared, "Yesterday, the actors were talking about how we hope the director releases another film soon, regardless of whether we're in it. But Kyung-gu hyung said, 'I'll do it again.' So now I'll say it: I want to do it too," confessing his true feelings and bringing laughter to the end."Love Without a Cause" will be released worldwide on Netflix on November 6th.sstar1204@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Desk | ssent@tf.co.kr]