Chinese and Indian audiences watched the Chinese film, Angles Wear White, together at the Indian Embassy in Beijing on March 31 to mark the Best Director Award given to the film at the 48th International Film Festival of India, Goa, in November 2017.

Written and directed by Vivian Qu, Angles Wear White (Jianianhua), touches upon a sensitive issue that is not too often addressed in China or in other parts of the world. It tells the story of two young girls who are sexually assaulted by a middle-aged man in a motel in south China.

The film is narrated from a double perspective: one of the victims, 12-year-old Meng Xiaowen; and Xiaomi, a teenage girl receptionist at the motel, who is a witness to the harassment.

Chinese director Vivian Qu accepts the Silver Peacock Prize from Indian Ambassador Gautam Bambawale at the Indian Embassy in Beijing on March 31 (COURTESY PHOTO)

"This is a story about women...about the choices that are allowed us and the courage to make different ones. (It is) about the interchangeable roles of the victim and the bystander," Qu explained in a production presentation.

During the Beijing ceremony, the director thanked the Indian Embassy as she accepted the coveted Silver Peacock Prize from Indian Ambassador Gautam Bambawale.

She stated that the famous Indian poet Tagore gave her inspiration for her art. As for the origins of her film, Qu said that the story came out of her thinking about certain social issues.

"The topic of women, a classic one that has been talked about for a long time, remains highly relevant today," she added.

Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo

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