Vivian Qu facts for kids

Vivian Qu (Chinese: 文晏; Wen Yan) is a talented Chinese film director, screenwriter, and producer. She is known for directing the award-winning movie Trap Street in 2013. Vivian Qu has also produced many other successful films. These include Night Train (2007), Knitting (2008), and Black Coal, Thin Ice (2014). Black Coal, Thin Ice even won the top prize, the Golden Bear Award, at the Berlin International Film Festival.

In 2017, Vivian Qu's second film as a director, Angels Wear White, was shown at the 74th Venice International Film Festival. It also won an award for best Chinese film by a new director at the Pingyao International Film Festival. Later, she won the Golden Horse Award for Best Director in Taiwan for this film.

Vivian Qu's Early Life and Education

Vivian Qu grew up in Beijing, China. In the 1990s, she moved to the United States. There, she studied art history and fine arts in New York City. She realized that making movies brought together all her favorite things. These included "writing, photography, music... together in one art form."

Vivian Qu's Film Career and Work

In 2003, Vivian Qu returned to Beijing. She wanted to become a film producer. She was interested in helping independent filmmakers. She noticed that many Chinese filmmakers had great ideas and scripts. However, they often lacked the money or help to share their films with people around the world.

Producing Films for a Global Audience

In 2007, Vivian Qu started producing films with Chinese director Diao Yi'Nan. Their first film together was Night Train. This movie is about a lonely prison guard looking for companionship. The film was shown at the famous Cannes Film Festival. The next year, she produced Knitting. This was a romantic story told from a female point of view. It was based on an old Chinese myth. In 2013, she produced Longing for the Rain. This film tells the story of a woman in an unhappy marriage.

Directing Her Own Stories

While working as a producer, Vivian Qu also decided to try directing. Her first film as a director was Trap Street, made in 2013. The movie is about a young map-maker. He finds his digital maps have changed strangely. This happens after he meets a woman who works for a secret service. She works on a street that officially doesn't exist.

Qu says this film shows how modern China is changing. People are starting to notice "little things that are happening." For example, "the Internet and text messages being censored all the time." Social media sites like Facebook are often blocked. She also mentioned that people can be held by authorities for small reasons. She feels this trend is "very disturbing."

Angels Wear White and Its Message

In 2017, Vivian Qu directed her second full-length film, Angels Wear White. It was filmed on Hainan Island in China. The story takes place in a Chinatown area. A large statue of ‘Forever Marilyn’ watches over events at the Warmness Hotel. The movie follows two teenage girls and their difficult lives. Vivian Qu made this film to speak up for women in Chinese society. She wants to highlight problems and unfair treatment women face.

Supporting Women in Film

Vivian Qu also cares deeply about the role of women in the Chinese film industry. She believes women filmmakers often get fewer chances. At the Cannes Film Festival in 2018, she said that women directors often receive less money for their film ideas. People sometimes think they can only make romantic movies. This makes it harder for women to succeed and increases unfairness. She also mentioned that investors sometimes push filmmakers to use very young actors. This can be stressful for women producers and actresses.

Vivian Qu's Directing Style

Vivian Qu's directing style is inspired by French filmmaker Robert Bresson. She often uses a similar way of telling stories. She connects the beginning and end of her films. Her movie Angels Wear White won the best film award for new directors at the Pingyao Awards. It was also shown at the Venice Film Festival in 2017. Vivian Qu won the Best Director award at the Golden Horse Film Festival in Taiwan for this film. After these successes, she decided to focus on directing. She also agrees with director Ang Lee that new technologies are important for young filmmakers.

Filmography

As Scriptwriter

• 2004 Letter From an Unknown Woman
• 2013 Trap Street

As Director

• 2017 Angels Wear White
• 2013 Trap Street

As Producer

• 2014 Black Coal, Thin Ice
• 2013 Chunmeng
• 2008 Knitting
• 2007 Night Train

Awards and Recognition