Chinese actress Xin Zhilei won the Best Actress award Saturday night at the 82nd Venice Film Festival for her role in The Sun Rises on Us All. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese actress Xin Zhilei won the Best Actress award Saturday night at the 82nd Venice Film Festival for her role in The Sun Rises on Us All. Directed by Cai Shangjun, the film, known in Chinese as Ri Gua Zhong Tian, tells the tragic story of former lovers entangled by fate and unable to find redemption. Xin plays the leading female role.

"This is the first time a Chinese actor from the post-1980s generation has won this award. This victory not only signifies that actors of this age group are now capable of portraying roles with social depth and artistic caliber, but also demonstrates once again that Chinese cinema continues to command attention and influence in an international context that is undergoing tremendous change," Zuo Heng, a researcher at the China Film Archive, told the Global Times on Sunday.

"China has a substantial pool of filmmaking talent, but the next challenge for producers is figuring out how to assemble them into teams through stronger and more ambitious projects to create true creative synergy," he said.

Xin was presented with the Golden Lion trophy by Chinese actress Zhao Tao, a member of the international jury for this year's competition.

In her acceptance speech, Xin expressed that she felt both honored and proud to stand on the festival's stage as a Chinese actress, according to Xinhua News Agency.

She thanked the film's crew and offered words of encouragement to young girls: "To all the girls out there, if you have a dream, dare to imagine it and go after it — you never know, it might just come true."

"I immediately liked the script when I first read it," Xin said. "This film explores good and evil and delves into human nature — it's a story worth discussing."

The Sun Rises on Us All tells a story of former lovers Meiyun (played by Xin) and Baoshu (played by Zhang Songwen) who reunite years later in a small southern town but are ultimately caught in the currents of fate. The title draws from the Cantonese opera The Purple Hairpin (Zi Chai Ji), specifically the line "The sun hangs high and everything glows red," symbolizing reconciliation after hardship, according to Sanlian Life Weekly magazine.

Zuo noted that director Cai is highly skilled at using spaces and settings rich in everyday life to tell stories and portray characters, offering reflections on fate and ethics while probing the moral dilemmas faced by modern individuals, thereby achieving a universality that transcends space and time.

"Of course, the realities of Chinese society and the unique life experiences of Chinese people also contribute to the film's appeal," Zuo noted. "We look forward to its release for domestic audiences and to seeing how it performs in the local market."

Lin Xiaoyan, who attended the film's Venice press screening in Italy, told the Global Times on Sunday that while the overall plot of the film is not uncommon in Asian cinema, Xin's performance stands out.

"Her subtle expressions and choked-up monologues in long takes are deeply moving," Lin said. "Her performance is natural and perfectly restrained, supporting the entire film and helping explain why she ultimately won the jury's recognition."

Lin also noted that several supporting actors delivered strong performances, particularly the character of the clothing factory owner, whose complexity adds depth to the story. 

"Although the film contains extensive dialogue, it reflects real-life decision-making, where many crucial choices emerge through repeated conversations."

This win earned Xin major recognition in Europe for the first time, having already conquered audiences at home, according to AFP News.

Xin became the third Chinese actress to win the award. In 1992, Gong Li won the award for her performance in The Story of Qiu Ju. In 2011, actress Deanie Ip received the honor for A Simple Life. 

Born in 1986 in Hegang, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Xin graduated from the Central Academy of Drama. Her representative works include the television and film productions Blossoms Shanghai, Joy of Life, and Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace. 

In 2016, she starred in the film Crosscurrent, which was selected for the main competition section of the 66th Berlin International Film Festival, the only Chinese-language film in the competition that year. In 2023, her 120-minute solo performance in Prima Facie earned her the Best Leading Actress Award at the 32nd Shanghai Magnolia Stage Performance Awards.

The 82nd edition of Venice Film Festival runs from August 27 to September 6 at the Lido island of the Italian lagoon city, with 21 films competing in the main competition.