Netflix Expands Lee Chang-dong Film Library Ahead of Possible Love Release
Netflix is rolling out six of the Korean auteur's earlier features across international markets, including Green Fish, Peppermint Candy, Oasis, Secret Sunshine, Poetry, and Burning. The move follows the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize win for his new drama Possible Love at the Venice Film Festival. Availability varies by country, with subtitles offered in up to six languages.
The staggered rollout reflects a strategic, market-by-market approach. Green Fish and Secret Sunshine are already streaming in Italy, the U.K., France, Australia, and New Zealand, while Peppermint Candy and Oasis appeared in Italy and Spain on Sept. 4. Poetry and Burning are slated for North America, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, with subtitle options reaching up to six languages depending on the territory.
Possible Love’s Venice win is historic—the first Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize for a South Korean film, and the country’s first Venice prize since Kim Ki-duk’s 2012 Golden Lion. The drama reunites Lee with Jeon Do-yeon and Sul Kyung-gu, and follows two couples from opposing class backgrounds, with a documentary filmmaker bridging their worlds. It is also South Korea’s Oscar submission.
This expansion could significantly broaden global exposure to Lee Chang-dong’s nuanced filmmaking, potentially introducing his work to audiences who missed festival screenings. As Netflix positions Possible Love for awards season, the availability of earlier titles may deepen viewer appreciation of his recurring themes—class tension, trauma, and moral ambiguity—possibly influencing how international audiences perceive Korean auteur cinema. It may also encourage other streaming platforms to revisit catalog works from acclaimed directors, though the long-term effect on niche film consumption remains uncertain.