BRICS coproduction shines light on women in the modern world

A cross-cultural film by five female directors from BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) was announced on Sunday during the Shanghai International Film & TV Festival.

The second BRICS joint production following 2017’s Where Has the Time Gone, Half the Sky will see each director present a short film that focuses on “contemporary women’s feelings and society.”

The five filmmakers are Brazilian director Daniela Thomas, Russian director Elizaveta Stishova, Indian film maker Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, South African director Sara Blecher and Chinese director Liu Yulin.

The Indian short film Mother’s Holiday shares the same production crew as the popular Indian sports movie Dangal. Tiwari, often called the most influential women in India, previously won the Filmfare Award for Best Director for her 2017 comedy film Bareilly Ki Barfi.

Liu helms Dumplings, which follows a mother and daughter as they try to patch up their broken relationship.

“It not only tells the story of a two-generation family, but also reflects the tens of thousands of families in China. It shows the common values that our society holds and that some of these values are drowning people like in an abyss,” Liu told Chinese news outlet The Paper.

Liu won a silver medal in the narrative category at the 41st Student Academy Awards with her short film Door God in 2014 while her feature film Someone to Talk to debuted at the 21st Busan International Film Festival in 2016.

The film is scheduled to hit theaters in the Chinese mainland later this year.