Video | Zhang Yimou’s daughter explores China’s expectations of its women in directorial debut

Differing Chinese and Western expectations over marriage provided the inspiration for Zhang Mo’s directorial debut, Suddenly Seventeen, which she says is about encouraging young women to “explore a little further” before they settle down.

The daughter of Chinese cinematic great Zhang Yimou, Zhang Mo said returning to China after years of study in the United States felt like “a reverse culture shock”. Then 26 and viewing a life full of possibilities, Zhang was startled that people thought she should already be married and planning a family.

“Women in the West, by the age of 28 ... they still feel like they’re still young, they still want to pursue their career maybe, and (find) out who they are, but in China it’s almost like the opposite,” said Zhang, now 33 and married to an American who works for the Hollywood agency representing her.

Set for release next month, Suddenly Seventeen is based on a novel published on the internet. It’s part of a hugely popular genre among young Chinese that focuses mainly on fantasy and romance tales and has spawned movies and web series.

In Zhang’s film, the 28-year-old protagonist, Liang Xia, played by Ni Ni, is unhappy in love and eats a magical chocolate that wipes her memory and turns her back into a 17-year-old. Zhang said she seized on the short novel’s premise and characters but, rather than keeping Liang at 17, her heroine flips back and forth in age every five hours, creating conflict and drama.