A poster of "Hello, Li Huanying" posted outside a theater in Beijing. The box office of this film is currently the highest in China this year.
The two best-selling movies in China this year are not an euphoria of patriotism, nor are they a funny partner comedy. There are no superheroes in the film, and no complicated stunt car chase scenes.
On the contrary, these two films are meticulous, exploring issues that are familiar to millions of women in China today, such as the eternal dilemma between family responsibilities and professional ambitions, or the complicated mother-daughter relationship.
The two films "Hello, Li Huanying" and "My Sister" are part of a wave of female directors making films. They are challenging the concept of what kind of film can conquer the Chinese film market. China now has the world's largest film market. . Although the contents of the two films are completely different, put together, they highlight what they stand for: rejection of the one-dimensional female characters common in Chinese commercial films ,
these films show a more feminine look Experience easily resonates in China. Although women are still far behind men in the number of commercial film directors, in the past three years, several of their films have been surprisingly successful.
At the top of the list is the tear-jerking comedy "Hello, Li Huanying", directed by Jia Ling, which earned 5.4 billion yuan in box office revenue in China, making it the highest grossing movie in China this year. The second highest grossing movie in Chinese history.
This movie was released in February this year. The mother of the woman played by Jia Ling in the film was injured in a nearly fatal accident. This woman traveled back in time to make up for her mother by becoming friends with her mother when she was young.
The success of this film makes Jia Ling the solo female director who has the world's highest box office revenue, surpassing the famous Patty Jenkins (Patty Jenkins) who is famous for " Wonder Woman ".Jia Ling is a well-known comedian, this is her first time as a director.
The description of the close mother-daughter relationship in this film allows people to re-understand the sacrifices made by their mothers.
For many people who often go to the movies, the close mother-daughter relationship depicted in this film makes people re-understand the sacrifices made by their mothers. Others like the nostalgic portrayal of 1980s China in the film, such as black-and-white TV and lovers on bicycles. People uploaded photos of their mothers when they were young under a hashtag on social media. This hashtag has been viewed more than 180 million times.
April Li, a civil servant in Kunming, southwestern China, said she cried when she watched the movie. Ms. Li said that her mother was inspired by this movie and went back to her hometown and took her mother to the grave.
"At first, everyone thought it was just a comedy," said 27-year-old Ms. Li. "I didn't expect it to be so warm."
The film My Sister, released this spring, explored family themes from a female perspective, and it also resonated with Chinese audiences.
This low-cost movie directed by Yin Ruoxin and written by You Xiaoying tells the story of a young woman who faced a difficult choice after her parents suddenly died in a car accident: she continued her pursuit of becoming a doctor. The dream is to raise a six-year-old brother.
"My Sister" provides a gloomy and sometimes angry thinking about the unfair expectations imposed on women that put the family above themselves. The film sharply portrays the consequences of China's " one-child policy " by showing how parents who do everything to get a second child 's birth permit forced their sister to pretend to be disabled.
"I hope that through the story of Enron, more girls will realize that their career plans and life directions should be chosen by themselves," Yin Ruoxin said in an interview with China's official news agency Xinhua.
The movie, which has earned more than 860 million yuan in box office revenue, sparked a fierce debate among the audience: what would they do if they were in the position of this young woman.
Famous sociologist Li Yinhe praised the film for showing that the traditional concept of patriarchy still exists in Chinese society.
Beijing-born filmmaker Zhao Ting won the Oscar for Best Director earlier this year.
""My Sister" tells us a good story, not only reasonable, but also full of suspense and fascinating," Li Yinhe wrote in a passionate film review posted on his WeChat public account. "The depth of the social ethics and social issues revealed is what makes this film not only fascinating but also thought-provoking."
Jia Ling and Yin Ruoxin declined the interview request.
Although these two films have achieved great success recently, the Chinese film industry is still far from achieving gender equality.
In Mao Zedong's era, studios subsidized by the government controlled the process of film production. Female directors have no shortage of jobs, but they have little say in what movies to make or how to make them.
China’s film industry has gradually opened up since the late 1980s, but it has not helped female directors because it has made it harder for them to find business opportunities to tell their stories. According to box office statistics from China's movie ticketing website Maoyan, only seven of the 100 domestically produced movies with the highest box office revenue in China are directed by women.
Despite this, "Hello, Li Huanying" and "My Sister" have achieved great success.
"Our voice and perspective are too missing in our lives in the past," said Li Shaohong, one of China's most well-known female directors.
"It can clearly show that the audience is tired of visual bombardment or sensory stimulation films," said Dong Wenjie , a producer based in Beijing.
last year,Dong Wenjie co-produced the film "Hero" with several famous Chinese female filmmakers and actresses. Through the experiences of three ordinary women, he told about China's new crown virus pandemic.
Participating producers include Li Shaohong, 65, who is one of China's most well-known female directors and one of the first people to make movies with what she called a "female perspective" in an interview. For example, in " red pink " filmed in 1995, she told the story of the Chinese government's "re-education" of prostitutes through the perspective of two women and a female narrator.
"Our voice and perspective were too missing in our lives in the past," Li Shaohong said. "It's time for us to have the courage to speak."
Director Zhao Wei is also very optimistic. She mentioned that she has recently funded a mini-series that explores domestic violence, women’s marriage pressures and other difficult issues. A successful example. Investors initially told her that no one would pay for projects of this type.
This mini-series was released on the popular streaming media platform Tencent Video , and it was well received by the audience. Many viewers said that the film directly reflects the pressure they feel in their lives.
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