The director’s first film in a decade pushes two couples together in a documentary project covering a strike at a car plant that got out of hand and resulted in several deaths. The two men and two women find emotions and bonds they share, as well as obvious contrasts, especially in terms of class and money.

Originally conceived as a remake of one of Kieslowski’s Dekalog chapters, this three-hour drama focuses primarily on conversations. They hold your attention – if you have the patience – thanks to the performances, the tension between the characters, and how their history and traits are slowly revealed.

2026-South Korea-U.S. 164 min. Color. Directed by Lee Chang-dong. Screenplay: Lee Chang-dong, Oh Jung-mi. Cast: Jeon Do-yeon (Ahn Mi-ok), Sul Kyung-gu (Choi Ho-seok), Zo In-sung (Han Sang-woo), Cho Yeo-jeong (Lee Ye-ji), Jeong Seop, Jo Yu-ri, Choi Min. 

Trivia: Original title: Ganeunghan sarang. Co-produced by Lee.

Venice: Grand Jury Prize. 

Last word: “In the beginning, I wanted to tell this story of these laid-off workers, and so I had gotten near production (that was about ten years ago), but at the last minute I couldn’t answer the question, ‘Am I worthy of telling this story, and what does this mean to make this into a dramatic feature film? What meaning does it have to me? To the audience? To cinema itself?’ I wasn’t able to answer that, and then many years passed, and it was when my co-writer, Oh Jung-mi, suggested that we bring in a documentary filmmaker’s gaze into the story. That was when I realized that this was no longer just a story about the pain of others, but it could be my story, in which it brings in the gaze of a filmmaker to look at the pain of others.” (Lee, Awards Watch)