Chinese women are making themselves heard on the big screen
A hilarious and heart-rending new film explores feminist themes
THE HIGHEST-GROSSING Chinese film in the last week of November was not an action flick or sci-fi thriller, two genres that often top the country’s box office. It was “Her Story”, a comedy-drama that follows a single mother, called Tiemei, and her eccentric new neighbour, Xiaoye, in Shanghai. Together the two women face various challenges, such as raising nine-year-old Molly, navigating old and new romances, and handling online harassment. The low-budget film, by turns hilarious and heart-rending, has far exceeded expectations, taking in more than 440m yuan ($61m).
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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Rewriting the script”
From the December 7th 2024 edition
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