Chinese Director Wen Yan wins Best Director Award for 'Angels Wear White'

Chinese director Wen Yan received the "Silver Peacock" award from the Indian Ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale on March 31 after her film Angels Wear White won the Best Director Award at the 48th International Film Festival of India.

Angels Wear White tells a story about two young girls who are assaulted by a middle-aged man in a motel. Through a dual perspective, one from a victim and another from a female witness, the film tries to raise awareness of left-behind children and growing gender issues.

"In the last 30 years, China has developed very dramatically, economically and in all aspects. But sometimes the price might be families and children. A lot of people have to move to different cities to work in order to have a decent living. So many children are left in their hometowns, without proper care from their parents," said the director in her speech at the embassy of India in Beijing.

Wen Yan said the concept of Angels Wear White centers on the myriad problems that exist in society. "The movie does not try to answer questions but rather to raise questions about how a women's body and a woman's worth ought to be viewed in the 21st century," she said, adding that the issue is "a global issue may sound outdated but is still relevant to each one of us today".

The film was one of 15 films in the International Competition section which were screened at the festival.

"Film has a strong public foundation in both China and India. Both countries have excellent directors and outstanding actors," said Bambawale. "I am very pleased to note that Bollywood movies are increasingly loved by Chinese audiences, such as Amir Khan's Dangal, which was one of China's highest box office films in non-Chinese movies last year."

"Nowadays Chinese movies are equally popular in India. Personally I enjoyed watching Zhang Yimou's Red Sorghum and some of Chen Kaige's movies as well," the ambassador added.

Founded in 1952, the International Film Festival of India is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. It aims to provide a common platform for world cinema to project the excellence of the art form and promote friendship and cooperation among the people of the world.