Director Bi Gan poses with the Special Award (Prix Special) for "Resurrection" during the winners' photocall at the closing and awards ceremony of the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, on May 24, 2025. Photo: VCG

Chinese director Bi Gan has won the Special Award in the main competition section of the 78th Cannes Film Festival for his epic feature film Resurrection, which marks the first time in a decade that a Chinese film has won an award in the Cannes main competition. The news sparked celebrations upon reaching China on Sunday, while some online comments noted that, following Ne Zha 2, another work has demonstrated the international influence of Chinese film.

The epic, starring Chinese actor Jackson Yee and actress Shu Qi, tells the story of a woman's journey in a future where humans have lost the ability to dream. Starting the movie with a silent movie style, the director used this two-hour and forty-minute film to show his love for cinema.

"Congratulations! Standing out from among around 2,000 submitted films to make it into the final shortlist of over 20 main competition films, and then being selected for an award among those is very rare and also a delightful surprise," user "Neilufeiyu" commented on Douban, a major Chinese media review platform, on Sunday.

Festival organizers introduced Resurrection, known as Kuangye Shidai in Chinese, as a work that showcases the continued evolution of Bi's creativity, while staying true to the sensory and poetic qualities that define his unique cinematic style, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Li Sixue, a film critic and researcher based in Beijing and London, had the opportunity to view the film at the Cannes Film Festival. She told the Global Times on Sunday that one of the main reasons why Bi's work was awarded comes down to its unique visual style, with each of the six chapters featuring distinct themes and corresponding visual storytelling.

"Among the 22 works in this year's main competition section, which mainly consisted of films reflecting social realities and themes related to social issues, this film that emphasizes visual and poetic expression felt truly refreshing and novel to the jury and audiences," said Li.

During the press conference following the closing ceremony, Jury President Juliette Binoche stated that all jury members unanimously decided to honor Bi Gan with the Special Award, describing Resurrection as "a UFO, an extraordinary creation."

For her, Resurrection was very different from other films. "Visually, it really moved me. I found it extraordinary. This film allows for dreams, subtexts that we feel and that are real. It's full of poetry and allows us to feel something within ourselves," she explained.

Regarding the significance of the Special Award, Li noted that the film portrays dreams in a highly poetic manner, which deeply impressed the jury and garnered their support. Through this award, the jury aims to encourage the creative expression reflected in the film.

In his acceptance speech, Bi thanked the film festival and his cast. He also expressed his gratitude for all those who have constantly contributed to the development of cinema. The director also revealed in an interview with the online media outlet Yuli in Cannes that he plans to make some fine-tuning to the film, such as improving the special effects and reconsidering whether to include some particularly outstanding performances, while still maintaining control over the overall length of the film.

"A Chinese director winning an award with such a creative and experimental work can inspire other filmmakers to explore new approaches and directions in their own creations," said Li.

Li added that this award serves as a signal encouraging the film industry to provide more space and opportunities for showcasing the distinctive imagination and storytelling talents of Chinese cinema.

"China's new aesthetic and cinematic experiences are increasingly being recognized by the international community, especially within the mainstream film industry. This reflects the broader development of Chinese cinema, which includes blockbuster films like The Wandering Earth and Ne Zha series, as well as artistic films such as Resurrection, all receiving recognition across different dimensions," Sun Jiashan, an associate researcher at the Central Academy of Culture and Tourism Administration, told the Global Times on Sunday.

During the closing ceremony, all the awards of the Competition section were announced. 

Iranian director Jafar Panahi's film A Simple Accident won the Palme d'Or, the Cannes Film Festival's highest honor.