Cecilia Yip and Rebecca Li Manxuan represented two generations of talent when they appeared at this year’s Kering Women in Motion session in Shanghai, turning their attention to how the Chinese film industry is evolving.
Yip made her debut in Chinese-speaking cinema in the early 1980s, winning the Best Actress award at the Hong Kong Film Awards for her role in the film. Hong Kong 1941 (1984) – and she recalled being immediately shocked by the portrayal of the actresses she worked with, as much as she herself was. But times, she said, were slowly changing.
“They used to refer to us as ‘flower vases,’” Yip said. “It caused me a lot of distress, but she doesn’t hear it anymore. “Women’s roles these days have real depth.”
Li – She was nominated in Shanghai for Best Actress at the Asian New Talent Awards for her role Like, happy, love In 2023 – she says she has learned to trust her talents and persevere, and is now being offered “layered characters.”
“It’s not like that [success] “It will happen instantly,” she said. “Sometimes a little failure at the beginning can boost our motivation and let us know where we can do better.”
The discussion came at a time of increasing presence of women and women-focused films in Chinese cinema, such as recent hits including last year’s comedy directed by Shao Yihui. Her story ($93 million) and the pioneer of 2021 Hello mom From director Jia Ling, which grossed about $848 million.
The second hosting of the Kering Women in Motion event by the Shanghai International Film Festival continued the French luxury brand’s commitment to highlighting “women in arts and culture to change mindsets and combat gender inequality” – an initiative launched in 2015 that has in the past collaborated with the likes of global celebrities Michelle Yeoh and Julianne Moore to get the message across.
On stage with Yip and Li at Shanghai’s historic Cathay Theater this year, Tunisian producer Dora Bouchoucha and Peruvian documentary filmmaker Carla Gutierrez, came to the city to serve on the jury of major feature films and documentaries, respectively.
The session was designed to inform and inspire, and Bouchoucha looked to her extensive career as a leading light for women in African and Arab cinema to point the way forward for any young filmmaker in the audience while Gutierrez took the opportunity on stage to share the origins of the profession that has brought her acclaim. Frida, The 2024 documentary about the famous Mexican artist.
“I remember that feeling of being transported somewhere, that feeling of, you know, feeling for myself what the character is feeling,” she said. “Then when I saw this documentary, I also saw how non-fiction is so compelling. It takes you on a journey, and it takes you on a journey where you learn that you become very empathetic to someone else’s experience.”
Fittingly, as all four panelists were tasked with reflecting on their careers, it all ended with the question of what message those gathered could share with their younger selves, on the first day of their careers. “Have more courage,” he told me as Yip agreed.
For Gutierrez, the message will be to make more noise. “I’m already a very outspoken and vocal person. But I want to tell myself, ‘Be louder!’ I laughed.
Bouchoucha ended the session with advice, “Just be yourself.” “Be true to yourself and don’t try to please everyone,” she said.
