Film on heroine set to be released

A biographical film about Shen Jilan, the late recipient of the Medal of the Republic and China's longest-serving national lawmaker, held a premiere in Beijing on June 25. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A biographical film about Shen Jilan, the late recipient of the Medal of the Republic and China's longest-serving national lawmaker, premiered in Beijing on Sunday, and will be officially released in domestic theaters on Wednesday.

Also titled Shen Jilan, the movie unfolds with the protagonist's final attendance at the National People's Congress and retells how Shen strived for "equal pay for equal work" between men and women, a proposal that was written into the first Constitution of the People's Republic of China in 1954.

The movie's poster. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Shen was born in a village in Shanxi province in 1929. She joined the Communist Party of China in 1953 and devoted her life to striving for women's labor rights and leading locals toward prosperity. She passed away in 2020 at the age of 91 due to an illness.

The movie's director Hasi Chaolu, an ethnic Mongolian, expressed feeling immense pressure in chronicling the life of Shen. To explore her ordinary side that is relatable to most of us, the director revealed that he employed a restrained and objective narrative approach.

The protagonist is portrayed by two actresses, with Yao Bingrong playing the younger version of Shen Jilan and Yue Hong, winner of the Best Actress award at the 6th Golden Rooster Awards, taking on the role of the character in her senior years.