Join Metrograph and AAWW for the US theatrical premiere of This Woman!

Please note, this is a ticketed screening!

Feminist activist and multihyphenate artist Zhang’s directorial debut is a raw, often revelatory docufiction experiment that follows Beibei (Li Hehe), a recently unemployed 35-year-old woman who, in the early months of the pandemic, finds solace from an unfulfilling marriage—or at least attempts to—in various affairs, as she questions the social forces that have led her to this point of malaise. Produced by a Malaysian company and filmed in China—where Zhang skirted the nation’s censorship boards (which resulted in the film’s ineligibility for a domestic rollout)—This Woman boldly challenges cultural traditions in both countries, yet with Zhang unwilling to make compromises, the film has not been released in either country. “I was thrilled to have the chance to shoot a film that features the life of my friend. This is an experiment for both of us, two women who are enthusiastic about films and always fascinated by the topics of marriage, family, love, intimacy, and self-exploration.” —Alan Zhang

Alan Zhang is a Chinese director, painter, visual artist, feminist activist. Her works are rooted in the tradition of mixing conceptual art, social sciences research and documentary film techniques.
Alan’s artistic pursuits are deeply intertwined with her exploration of women’s experiences in various facets of life, including marriage, family dynamics, motherhood, personal growth, intimate
relationships, and parent-child dynamics.

Before her 30th birthday, Alan embarked on a journey to fulfill her dream of motherhood. To embrace her fears towards marriage, she boldly posted a video online, publicly searching for a sperm donor. After interviewing several candidates, none met her expectations as a potential “father” figure who would equally co-parent in a non-traditional marital setting. Eventually, she reached an agreement with the filmmaker who assisted her in creating the sperm donation video, thus initiating the process of conception. Two years after becoming a mother, Alan reunited with her longtime friend Hehe Lee, the lead actress in “This Woman,” during the COVID-19 outbreak. Facing uncertainties in her job at a film production company, Hehe contemplated her life’s direction. Together, the two mothers conceived the idea of creating a film to explore the struggles they both faced as women and mothers. Armed with a borrowed camera, Alan and Hehe embarked on the journey of filming “This Woman.”