Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love' Wins Silver Lion at Venice Film Festival

South Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong's latest feature, "Possible Love," won the Silver Lion Gand Jury Prize at the prestigious Venice International Film Festival, in another accolade for Korean cinema.

The film, starring Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong, received the prize at the closing ceremony of the 83rd edition of the Italian film festival held in Venice on Saturday (local time).

It is 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 marks the first time a Korean film has won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize.

For Lee, the win comes more than two decades after his romance drama "Oasis" won the Silver Lion for best director, while its lead actress Moon So-ri grabbed the Marcello Mastroianni Award for emerging actors at the festival in 2002.

Lee thanked the four actors in his acceptance speech.

"Everybody on set who gave life to this film, to all the actors and the staff, thank you... This award belongs to all of you," the director said, mentioning the names of all four actors.

"We are living in an era where the meaning of labor is fading and human connections are increasingly becoming severed. I made this film to ask what cinema can and should do in times like these," he said. "I take this award as a sign that you want me to keep asking these questions."

"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.

After having its world premiere at Venice, the film received a seven-minute standing ovation and earned positive reviews.

The film also received the FIPRESCI Prize, a parallel prize awarded by international film critics, for best film in competition.

Meanwhile, the Golden Lion for Best Film went to May El-Toukhy's drama film "Woman Unknown," which also took the best actress award.

American director-actor Maggie Gyllenhaal led the jury.

The latest Silver Lion is the newest addition to accolades Lee has earned at both home and abroad.

The maestro, a former high school teacher and novelist who also served as South Korea's culture minister, has helmed acclaimed films such as "Peppermint Candy" (1999), "Secret Sunshine" (2007) and "Poetry" (2010).

Following the double win by "Oasis" at the Venice film fest in 2002, Jeon Do-yeon won best actress for her role in "Secret Sunshine" at the Cannes Film Festival. "Poetry," meanwhile, clinched best screenplay at Cannes.

"Possible Love" is set for release in South Korea on Sept. 23 and will be available on Netflix starting Nov. 6.

The Venice film fest is one of the world's most prestigious international film festivals, alongside the Cannes Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival. (Yonhap)