![China back at Cannes with women's rights blockbuster](https://www.portugalcolonial.pt/media/shared/articles/7b/71/a5/China-back-at-Cannes-with-women-s-r-161167.jpg)
-
Jamaica's De Cordova-Reid joins Leicester from Fulham
-
Wolves' Kilman reunites with Lopetegui at West Ham
-
Schmidt reign off to winning start as Australia beat Wales 25-16
-
Russian wrestlers reject Olympics invitation
-
Raducanu rediscovers Wimbledon 'fun' factor after turbulent spell
-
Winning all that matters at Euro 2024 for Mbappe's minimalist France
-
Eight dead, two million affected by Bangladesh floods
-
Robertson pleased to 'find a way' past England in tough Test baptism
-
Martin sets lap record to secure German MotoGP pole
-
'Shattered' Germany set sights on World Cup after Euros exit
-
Olympic hope Pedersen pulls out of Tour de France
-
Djokovic eyes sweet 16 at Wimbledon as Swiatek takes on 'gangster'
-
End beckons again for Ronaldo after Portugal Euros KO
-
New Zealand edge England 16-15 in tense, brutal first Test
-
Turkey take on Dutch in politically charged Euros quarter-final, England face Swiss
-
Calling for better ties with West, Iran reformist wins presidency
-
Cybercrime groups restructuring after major takedowns: experts
-
Activists hail Sierra Leone child marriage ban, urge action on FGM
-
Marsch relishing Canada's semi clash with Argentina
-
Canada stun Venezuela on penalties to reach Copa semis
-
Iran reformist Pezeshkian holds early lead in runoff vote
-
Swiatek faces 'gangster' threat, Djokovic feels need for Wimbledon speed
-
France holds its breath ahead of uncertain vote
-
Starmer begins UK 'rebuild' after landslide election win
-
Paris's Moulin Rouge inaugurates new windmill sails ahead of Olympics
-
Pan, Rai share halfway lead in PGA John Deere Classic
-
'I was feeling terrible' in debate, Biden says in TV interview
-
France coach Deschamps savours ending penalty hoodoo, defends Mbappe
-
Thompson bids farewell to Warriors after exit
-
Portugal exit Euros with pride, will return stronger: Martinez
-
UK's new PM Starmer speaks to world leaders, names top team
-
Spain and France to face off in Euros last four, Turkey lament 'unfair' Demiral ban
-
Israel says negotiators to hold fresh Gaza truce talks next week
-
France beat Portugal on penalties to reach Euro 2024 semi-finals
-
Endrick to start for Brazil in Uruguay Copa clash: Dorival
-
Heartbreak for Germany fans after dramatic Euros exit
-
Beryl heads for Texas after causing damage, no deaths in Mexico
-
Nagelsmann laments late penalty decision as hosts Germany exit Euros
-
Biden declares he's all in ahead of high-risk TV interview
-
Spain team 'is a winning horse', says De la Fuente
-
Bows at the ready, Chad villagers battle kidnappings
-
Alcaraz mimics Bellingham goal celebration after Wimbledon win
-
Olmo hopes Pedri can make speedy return for Euros semi-finalists Spain
-
Retiring Kroos hopeful despite Germany's 'bitter' Euros exit
-
Southgate turns on English 'entitlement' over claims of easy Euros draw
-
Merino extra-time goal sends Spain past Germany to Euro semis
-
Koeman demands Dutch silence fervent Turkish fans at Euros
-
Brad Pitt at Silverstone for filming of F1 movie
-
Raducanu storms into Wimbledon last 16
-
California fires spread in July 4 weekend heatwave
![China back at Cannes with women's rights blockbuster](https://www.portugalcolonial.pt/media/shared/articles/7b/71/a5/China-back-at-Cannes-with-women-s-r-161167.jpg)
China back at Cannes with women's rights blockbuster
One of China's biggest-ever productions, "She's Got No Name", premieres in Cannes on Friday, bringing megastars like Ziyi Zhang to the red carpet as well as the thorny issue of women's rights.
The film from acclaimed Hong Kong director Peter Chan has been generating a lot of buzz on Chinese social media, such as Weibo, thanks largely to its cast.
Zhang starred in the Oscar-winning "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Rush Hour" alongside Jackie Chan, and earned a Golden Globe nomination for "Memoirs of a Geisha".
Alongside her are Lei Jiayin, Yang Mi and Jackson Yee, of hugely successful boyband TFBoys and Oscar-nominated 2019 film "Better Days".
Also bound to draw attention is the subject matter, which is based on a notorious murder case during the 1940s Japanese occupation of Shanghai.
Zhang plays Zhan-Shou, a resilient woman in an unhappy marriage who is charged with the dismemberment of her husband.
Women's rights are sensitive territory in today's China.
Under President Xi Jinping, authorities have cracked down on almost every kind of feminist activism, restricting NGOs, arresting high-profile figures, and suspending social media accounts.
Anything seen as feminist is increasingly considered a challenge to authority, and celebrities often feel the need to publicly disavow feminism.
- Lockdown drama -
Cannes has seen a return of Chinese cinema this year after a notable absence caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the country's stringent lockdown.
The heavy-handed response of authorities to the pandemic was the subject of "An Unfinished Film", which premiered out-of-competition at the festival last week.
The highly "meta" drama shows a film crew meeting near Wuhan in early 2020. When one falls ill, others are forcibly locked in their hotel rooms for months.
Featuring amateur footage of anti-lockdown protests, the film was produced in Singapore and Germany, and is unlikely to see the light of day in China, due to strict censorship.
Other Chinese films at Cannes this year have included auteur Jia Zhang-ke's latest Palme d'Or entry, "Caught By The Tides", and "Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In", a well-received martial arts thriller.
Guan Hu, the director of some of the biggest blockbusters of recent years such as wartime epic "The Eight Hundred", returned to his indie roots with "Black Dog", showing in the Un Certain Regard section.
"When we make films that are a little more intimate, there is less pressure, they become more sincere films," he told AFP.
His story about a man who returns to his home town after a spell in prison is far from the flag-waving patriotism of his commercial films.
He claimed there was markedly less censorship in the film industry these days.
"A few years ago, it could have hindered my work... but I find in recent years, there has been a clear improvement (in regard to censorship)," he said.
"Today, it is the market that decides everything."
He also said international festivals were vital to diplomacy.
"It's very important to exchange with different cultures. But if we really want to understand each other, we need to go and shoot films abroad and also have others come and shoot in China. I have this desire," he said.
Ferreira--PC