39-year-old mainland Chinese actress Xin Zhilei won the Best Actress award at the 82nd Venice Film Festival for her role as “Meiyun” in the movie “Sun Hanging in the Middle of the Sky.” She became the third Chinese actress to win the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival after Gong Li and Maggie Cheung, and the sixth Chinese actress to win major awards at the three major European film festivals.
When Xin Zhilei’s name was announced in the awards hall on the Venetian Lido Island on September 6th, she looked stunned and shocked. She quickly got up and embraced director Cai Shangjun and actors Zhang Songwen and Feng Shaofeng with tears in her eyes.
During her acceptance speech, Xin Zhilei was visibly emotional. She struggled to catch her breath and said that when she entered the industry, she had boasted of becoming an international superstar and never imagined that her dream would come true. As she lifted the award trophy, tearfully saying, “Mom, look,” she felt that her years of perseverance and hard work had finally been recognized.
News of Xin Zhilei winning at Venice sparked widespread discussions on mainland Chinese social media. Some congratulated Xin Zhilei for finally becoming an “international superstar,” while others saw it as a “come-from-behind victory” and speculated on the future of Chinese cinema on the international stage. Many also believed that Xin Zhilei’s entry into the international Best Actress ranks would have a significant impact on the younger generation of Chinese actresses, such as Tang Yan, Yang Mi, Liu Shishi, and Zhao Liying.
What started as a discussion about the current state of the mainland Chinese entertainment industry gradually turned into a battlefield filled with controversies and criticisms.
Of particular interest was when some netizens dug up a past comment from Zhang Ziyi criticizing Xin Zhilei’s performance on a program and sarcastically mentioning Zhang’s lack of awards at the Cannes, Venice, and Berlin Film Festivals.
Chinese media reported that Zhang Ziyi had commented on Xin Zhilei’s performance as Consort Jin in “Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace” on a talent show in 2019, saying it lacked depth, leading to Xin’s elimination. However, Xin Zhilei stated that she “admires Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li the most” and took Zhang’s comment of “not mature enough” as motivation to work harder, eventually leading to her victory at the Venice Film Festival.
Some netizens believed that Xin Zhilei’s achievement directly countered Zhang Ziyi’s failure to win at the major European film festivals, while Xin Zhilei, upon hearing such comments, criticized the attempt to downplay other female actresses through her success. She expressed disappointment, saying, “It’s heartbreaking to see such comments. A healthy industry should promote mutual progress, with everyone shining in their own right. Why can’t we celebrate together?”
In reality, Xin Zhilei revealed in interviews that she received numerous blessings from fellow actors before and after the awards, and her phone was “about to explode.” She also mentioned that the atmosphere among female actors was positive and not as chaotic as some might think.