Jeon Do-yeon Defined an Era of Korean Cinema. With ‘Possible Love,’ She’s Become an Oscar Contender
Jeon Do-yeon is drawing Oscar attention for her lead performance in *Possible Love*, potentially putting her in line to become the first South Korean nominated for best actress. The film’s reception is bringing wider international notice to an actor long celebrated at home, whose career spans more than 30 years.
Directed by Lee Chang-dong, the Netflix film follows two couples divided by wealth and a workers’ strike, with Jeon playing Mi-ok, a woman whose family story is filmed for a documentary. It premiered to strong reviews at Venice and won the festival’s Grand Jury Prize; after screenings in Toronto and New York, it is in select cinemas and scheduled to stream from 6 November. Jeon says she drew on herself to portray Mi-ok’s contradictions and resilience.
In short
- Jeon Do-yeon is attracting Oscar buzz for *Possible Love*.
- The film won Venice’s Grand Jury Prize.
- It explores inequality through two couples and a strike.
Explained simply
Jeon Do-yeon is a South Korean actor whose career has spanned more than 30 years. She is best known in South Korea for acclaimed roles across film and television, and won the best actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 for Secret Sunshine.
Lee Chang-dong, who directed Possible Love, is also a prominent South Korean filmmaker. The film centres on two couples from different economic backgrounds and a workers’ strike, against a wider backdrop of class divisions in South Korea.
South Korean films and actors have gained a larger international audience in recent years, including through major awards and streaming services. A best actress nomination for Jeon would mark a first for a South Korean performer in that Oscar category.
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