Seoul: Three Korean films by directors Yeon Sang-ho, Lee Chang-dong, and Hur Jin-ho have been invited to screen at this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the festival's organizers announced. Yeon's "Paradise Lost" and Lee's "Possible Love" will have their world and North American premieres, respectively, in the Special Presentations section at the 51st edition of the festival, scheduled for September 10-20.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Hur's "The Assassin(s)" will have its world premiere in the Gala Presentations section. The mystery thriller "Paradise Lost" follows So-young, played by Kim Hyun-joo, who uses an artificial intelligence program to remember her missing son, Sun-woo, portrayed by Bae Hyun-sung. The narrative explores her emotional turmoil when he returns after nine years. Yeon described the film, based on the novel "Black Inferno," as one of his darkest works, highlighting the mother's struggle between her AI-recreated son and her real son. Yeon returns to TIFF a year after his previous film, "The Ugly," was screened.
"Possible Love" is Lee's first feature film in eight years following "Burning" (2018). The Netflix film focuses on the intertwined lives of two married couples-a laid-off worker and his wife, and an affluent documentary filmmaker and her husband-and the complexities that arise when their paths cross. The film boasts a notable cast, including Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung, and Cho Yeo-jeong. Lee's previous films, "Oasis" (2002) and "Secret Sunshine" (2007), were also presented at TIFF, where he served on the jury in 2018.
"The Assassin(s)" is a historical thriller rooted in the 1974 assassination attempt against then-President Park Chung-hee, which resulted in the first lady's death. The film stars Yoo Hae-jin as a police detective, with Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho playing journalists uncovering the truth behind the incident. This will be Hur's third invitation to TIFF, following his screenings in 2012 and 2023.
TIFF's Special Presentations section is renowned for showcasing contemporary films from around the globe, having previously featured notable Korean films such as Bong Joon-ho's "Mother" (2009) and "Parasite" (2019), Park Chan-wook's "The Handmaiden" (2016) and "Decision to Leave" (2022), as well as Kim Jee-woon's "The Age of Shadows" (2016) and Ryoo Seung-wan's "I, the Executioner" (2024).