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Massive box office successes add to the value of female directors and topics | |
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Recently, directed by female filmmaker Yin Ruoxin, Chinese hit drama Sister led the domestic box office for 10 consecutive days since its debut on April 2. Previously, the Spring Festival blockbuster Hi, Mom saw Chinese film director Jia Ling overtake Patty Jenkins as the world's highest-grossing female director of a single film. The recent female directorial success represents the growth of the so-called "She Power" movement in a male-dominated film industry over the past decade. The female perspective brought to the big screen by these directors has become a topic of public debate. As the first of its kind in China, Hear Her, an eight-episode monologue series about women, touches on some of the most common social issues, ranging from domestic violence to midlife crises and the objectification of females. The blight of gender inequality, such as women being paid less than men for the same work, or having their voices ignored, still plagues society to this day. There is no doubt that women's social status has improved, albeit gradually, but many still face barriers and unwanted challenges as a direct result of their gender in their daily lives. Though women creating films is still not commonplace, the massive box office successes as of late have added to the value of female directors and topics. This is an edited excerpt of an article originally published in Lifeweek on April 21 (Print Edition Title: She Power) |
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