On September 26th, actress Shu Qi won the Best Director Award at the 30th Busan International Film Festival for her film "Girl." "Girl," Shu Qi's directorial debut, was previously shortlisted for the Venice Film Festival's main competition. In her speech, she thanked the film's creative team, her parents, and her husband, Stephen Fung.
Set in Keelung Harbor in 1988, "Girl" tells the coming-of-age story of Lin Xiaoli, a young woman who, despite facing a mother who often takes her out on her and a father who is abusive and alcoholic, yearns for a brighter future. The film stars newcomer Bai Xiaoying as the protagonist, with singer-turned-actor 9m88 as her mother and Qiu Ze as her father.
Shu Qi is both the film's director and screenwriter. Earlier, at the film's premiere in Venice, she expressed the immense pressure of directing. "This is my first directorial project, and my first time meeting everyone as a director. I'm afraid I won't do my job well," she said. "Also, my original intention for making this film was to reflect how women of that era had become freer and more unrestrained than before. They no longer needed to rely on patriarchy or family. They had become independent and capable of bettering their lives."
