Shu Qi's first self-written and directed film "Girl" has appeared in international film festivals one after another, exquisitely and sincerely praised by foreign media

Shu Qi was the director for the first time. The film "Girl", which he wrote and directed, was successively shortlisted for the main competition unit of the 82nd Venice Film Festival, the Centrepiece of the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, and the main competition unit of the 30th Busan International Film Festival. Shu Qi, who has transformed from an actor to challenge her new director identity, has her first work recognized by three major international film festivals in Europe, North America and Asia, which shows her creative energy spans the field of director. Recently, director Shu Qi and his creative team successively attended the three major film festivals, holding world premieres, North American premieres and Asian premieres, all of which received enthusiastic responses. After the world premiere in Venice, the audience stood and applauded for 15 minutes. Shu Qi couldn't hide her excitement and was moved to tears. The scene was touching.

Shu Qi shares the original intention of creation, focusing on the growth of women, revealing the connection behind the scenes with director Hou Xiaoxian

The film "Girl" is directed by Shu Qi, produced by Ye Rufen, and starred by Qiu Ze, 9m88, Bai Xiaoying, and Lin Pintong. Behind the scenes, there are photography director Yu Jingping, art director Huang Meiqing, modeling director Xu Liwen, editing director Zhang Shuping, voice director Du Duzhi and other strong gold medal team. The film is based on Shu Qi's personal childhood experiences and is set from the late 1980s to the late 1990s to depict the contradictions and struggles experienced by families and individuals in the process of industrialization and modernization. Shu Qi said that the original intention of the creation originated from his concern for the situation and growth of women in the "gray era":"Parents rush for life, and men often ignore the family. After entering 1998, the social atmosphere changed. Women had more educational opportunities and were more free and unrestrained. They did not need to be attached to their families. This was my main original intention of creation."

At the press conference in Venice, Shu Qi admitted that the pressure of directing far exceeded the status of an actor. She had no intention of styling and demeanor before the premiere. She woke up in the morning and was worried about the audience's reactions and comments. Some viewers noticed that Shu Qi's tribute to his mentor Hou Xiaoxian was cleverly incorporated in the film. Shu Qi revealed that she had no intention of walking to the "Mambo Bridge" during the selection of the scene, which made her call "magic", as if she had a connection with Hou through time and space. Leading actor Qiu Ze said that through the role of father in the film, he reorganized his relationship with his deceased father. During the performance, he also had a dialogue with his father through the film, and he felt more relieved. 9m88 shared her understanding of the role. Facing her dream and reality, her mother in her early 20s, how to make a breakthrough is a fascinating thing. Newcomer Bai Xiaoying admitted that playing "Xiaoli" in the shadow of her family was very challenging, but the delicate description of the script helped her understand the role. Shu Qi listened from the side, looking at her "female lead" with eyes full of satisfaction and pride.

Shu Qi's career as a director was recognized and praised for "arousing universal resonance", and admitted that the filming process was a journey of self-reconciliation **

After the Toronto Film Festival was released, foreign media praised "Girl" as "a delicate work about women's emotions. It has both local emotions and can resonate across cultures. It is sincere and touching." There was also special praise for the film announcing Shu Qi's gorgeous turn from actor to director, and the camera language was calm and infectious. Director Shu Qi also shared a good story behind the script creation after the screening: The idea of being a director came from Director Hou Xiaoxian's encouragement in a chat in 2011. During the creative process of more than ten years of intermittent, overthrown and repeated, every time I met with Director Hou, I would ask about the writing progress. Finally, at Director Hou's urging, she closed up in Milan for 13 days to complete the script ahead of schedule. Producer Ye Rufen also shared that in order to faithfully restore the background of the film in 1988, the crew invested a lot of effort in art scenes and production. Despite limited budget and time, they still delivered a work full of sincerity.

At a press conference at the Busan International Film Festival, director Shu Qi emotionally shared that the film was a journey of reconciliation with herself and her mother. She recalled that she was filming the first scene of 9m88, a long-shot scene of ordinary housekeeping. She sat in front of the screen and watched 9m88's back with his shoulders falling after silently completing the housework. She couldn't help but burst into tears: "At that moment, I suddenly fully understood my mother. With a heavy family responsibility, women's resilience is so strong, and at that moment, I reconciled with my childhood and understood that when I was a child, my mother didn't have time to love myself." When talking about cooperation with actors, Shu Qi also showed her unique thoughtfulness as an actor turned director. She particularly emphasized that when filming high-intensity plots involving domestic violence, gender oppression or psychological fear, the team will communicate with photography, art and other departments in advance to create a safe and comfortable performance environment for the actors. She said,"I am very eager to work with all good actors." After its Asian premiere at the Busan Film Festival,"Girl" was also praised by many foreign media as "a delicate and affectionate growth work that successfully captures the tenacity of women." South Korean media also described Shu Qi's directing technique as "gentle but powerful, emotionally sincere and unpretentious."

The trip to the three major film festivals of the movie "Girl" is the greatest affirmation of Shu Qi's first film directed, and also writes a perfect preface for her career as a director. Through this film, the audience can not only see Shu Qi's keen observations accumulated over the years as an actress, but also feel the sincere emotions and profound humanistic care gathered by her first directing. The first feature film "Girl" written and directed by Shu Qi was written and directed by Hua Wenchuang Co., Ltd., Jiaying Film Co., Ltd., Anaya Film (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Haina Baichuan Film and Art Integration Co., Ltd., Shanghai Film Co., Ltd., Beijing Lihuo Film Co., Ltd., Zhonghuan International Entertainment Co., Ltd., Huaneng International Entertainment Co., Ltd., Shanghai Shigu Film Co., Ltd., Xinxian (Shanghai) Cultural Communication Co., Ltd., Produced by Beijing Huangwei Yijia Film and Television Media Co., Ltd. and produced by Hua Wenchuang Co., Ltd., it will appear on the mainland's big screen this year. Stay tuned.