Region deals with #MeToo movement
When Wu Kexi was looking for a frightening plot line for her latest film, she didn’t need to look further than her own industry.
The Taiwanese actress and screenwriter’s latest movie, “Nina Wu,” is the story of an actress who, in pursuit of a role that will lead to stardom, is abused and psychologically scarred by a man in power.
Wu found herself closely following the #MeToo movement in Hollywood, and decided to write something for women affected by sexual assaults in the entertainment industry. Directed by Midi Z, it was selected to show at the Cannes Film Festival.
“After 2017, after the year the Harvey Weinstein stuff occurred, I read a lot of documents and interviews. I was so purely curious about what happened,” said Wu. She said she has been threatened in her career, but never sexually assaulted. “It’s still a humiliating experience,” she said.
Asia is having its own #MeToo moment, with its homegrown entertainment industries grappling with many of the issues that have upended entertainment careers in the United States and elsewhere.
Earlier this year, the Kpop scene was shaken when two male stars were accused of sexual misconduct in South Korea. Solo singer Jung Joonyoung faced allegations he secretly filmed himself having sex with women and shared the footage on a mobile messenger app; he apologized to the victims. And Seungri, the youngest member of the quintet Big Bang, was accused of trying to steer sex services to business investors. He denied the charges and retired from the group.
Last year, in India, Bollywood actress Tanushree Dutta came forward with details of a 2008 complaint she filed against actor Nana Parekar for alleged sexual harassment, which he denied. A flood of stories of sexual harassment and assault followed on social media from Indian actresses and writers.
Screenwriter Zhou Xiaoxuan became a central figure in China’s #MeToo movement after an essay she wrote privately, claiming she was sexually assaulted by a TV star. A prominent television host, Zhu Jun, sued her for defamation and Zhou followed with her own suit.
Japanese TV journalist Shiori Ito said she experienced months of trolling and shaming after she revealed in 2017 that she had been raped.
And in Pakistan, dancer, theater director and activist Sheema Kermani is campaigning against sexual abuse.