She was, in a way, speaking to those who aspire to follow in the footsteps of her own journey. Zhao’s win at the Golden Globes was largely depicted as a victory for filmmakers from China, where realistic depictions of modern life are a rarity and even Zhao has gotten into hot water for comments viewed as critical of her homeland.
The news was viewed more than 280 million times on Weibo by the following morning and Zhao was being described in state-affiliated media as “the pride of China”. Born Zhao Ting in 1982 to a father who was the general manager of a Chinese state-owned steel company, the filmmaker recalls how her early life in Beijing gave her a hunger for wilder landscapes and, in fact, would form a strong parallel to her life’s work. Her stepmother, Song Dandan, is a well-known comedic actress who has long supported her cinematic ambitions, but even she is surprised by the extent of Zhao’s success.