Actress Gong Li to be honoured with Women in Motion award at Cannes Film Festival
Chinese-Singaporean film star Gong Li – who this week walked on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival for the 18th year – is to be presented with the annual Women in Motion prize, awarded jointly by the festival and French luxury group, Kering.
Gong, 53, will be the first person of Chinese descent to receive the honour, at a ceremony on Sunday.
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The actress, who served as a jury member at the 50th Cannes Film Festival in 1997, will join the ranks of other past winners including the American actresses Jane Fonda, Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, French actress Isabelle Huppert and Spanish director Carla Simon.
The award aims to celebrate the careers of leading female figures in cinema – both those working in front of and behind the camera.
As one of China’s leading cinematic luminaries, Gong’s career has developed in tandem with the evolution of China’s film industry.
She has had many leading roles in films, including The Story of Qiu Ju, Red Sorghum and To Live, all directed by Zhang Yimou, and Farewell My Concubine directed by Chen Kaige.
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She has also appeared in American productions such as Memoirs of a Geisha and Miami Vice.
Two of her new films, Saturday Fiction, a 1940s-set period drama by Chinese director Lou Ye and Disney's live-action film, Mulan – in which Gong will play the villainess – are in the final stages of production, and will be released later this year, and in 2020, respectively.
Gong made her first appearance at the film festival in 1988 to promote the hit film, Red Sorghum, and was pictured on the beach at Cannes, dressed in a simple white shirt and navy blue trousers.
On Tuesday, at the start of this year’s 72nd edition of the festival, Gong looked stunning on the red carpet, dressed in a Ralph & Russo platinum Chantilly lace cape gown from the brand’s autumn/winter 2017/18 couture collection.
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The mint chiffon ruffles were embellished with hand-embroidered opal crystals, beads and petit floral sequins to evoke the look of femininity and elegance.
Gong paired her ensemble with items from Boucheron’s new High Jewellery collection, Paris, as seen from Number 26, including Acanthus leaves pendant earrings and a bracelet adorned with diamonds on white gold.
She also wore the brand’s iconic Quatre Radiant ring paved with diamonds on white gold.
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Chinese-Singaporean star, attending event in France for the 18th year, will receive the award celebrating leading female figures in cinema at a ceremony on Sunday