Wang Xiaoshuai 'serene' at Venice film festival

Director Wang Xiaoshuai attends the red carpet for the movie "Chuangru zhe" (Red amnesia) at the 71st Venice Film Festival September 4, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

As the 71st Venice film festival concluded here on Saturday, Chinese director Wang Xiaoshuai, who presented his new film Chuangru zhe (Red Amnesia) in the competition section, said he was serene despite not winning any awards.

"I am peaceful. I shot my film as I wanted and I had the opportunity to participate in the festival," Wang told Xinhua in an interview after the awarding ceremony concluded on the Lido seafront in the Italian iconic water city.

Chuangru zhe aroused reflection on China by depicting the fears of Chinese older generations "who have lost their consciousness" dedicating their entire life to the construction of their home country, to the others and to their family.

Wang said he was feeling sorry, however, for his film's main protagonist Lv Zhong, who did not obtain the Coppa Volpi award for Best Actress.

"She is a phenomenal actress," he highlighted.

In the film, the 73-year-old respected Chinese actress is Deng, a retired widow who grew up after the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, and spends her old age caring about her two grown-up sons until one day she starts receiving anonymous phone calls.

The intruder is the burden of her past, the suffering she has caused to other people in a troubled period of China's history, that she will not be able to get rid of.

According to media reports, the film was enthusiastically received by viewers at the premiere and some said Lv's stunning performance could have won her the best actress award at the festival.

"But she really is a great old artist, and comforted me saying that the most important thing was to have well done our work," Wang told Xinhua.

As a highly experienced stage actress from Beijing People's Art Theatre, Lv has played in several films.

An Italian movie director, Giorgio Grasso, told Xinhua he appreciated a variety of elements, from the technique to the new angle of the film about reflection on China's recent history, but especially the main actress' recitation, which he highlighted was "sublime."

In his view, Chuangru zhe marked the increasing quality rise of Chinese cinema that year after year is better known and appreciated at the international level.

"I am so glad that viewers in Venice were really interested in Chinese films," Wang said, adding he was confident that Chuangru zhe will be successfully distributed also in China.

In his view, films should be shot for the pleasure of doing cinema and not for commercial purposes, and film festivals have an important role in promoting art house works.

A total of seven Chinese-language works were presented in the 71st Venice film festival, which also hosted for the first time a China Film Forum entirely dedicated to the Asian country.