In 1979, the Chinese government decided to curb population growth by enacting a “one child” policy. Among the many unintended consequences of this draconian legislation, the country saw a surge in older children being put out for adoption — especially girls. One of these is tomboy Lin Juan (Cao Ruofan), who is placed with a new family at age of six when her widowed mother remarries and becomes pregnant. A little over a decade later, the 17-year-old (now played by Resurrection star Li Gengxi) is not having an easy time of it.
Zou Jing’s highly accomplished first feature follows Juan as she movies through different families, different names, and different personalities, eventually finding low-paid work in a garment factory. It seems wherever she goes, Juan struggles to recover a sense of belonging and self. A Girl Unknown is an elliptical, naturalistic drama conveyed with a poetic eye and tender compassion. It’s beautifully acted, too.
FIPRESCI Prize: Critics’ Week, Cannes 2026; Gan Foundation Award: Critics’ Week, Cannes 2026; Rail d’Or: Critics’ Week, Cannes 2026
Li Gengxi, Shen Jiani, Zu Feng, Cao Ruofan
China/France
2026
In Mandarin with English subtitles
At VIFF Centre & International Village
At Fifth Ave
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Credits & Director
Producer
Wang Yang, Didar Domehri, Cao Xi
Screenwriter
Zou Jing
Cinematography
Liang Zhongqiang
Editor
Zou Jing, Tina Baz
Original Music
Valentin Hadjadj
Zou Jing
Zou Jing is a Chinese writer and director who started her career making TV documentaries and commercials before pursuing her dream of writing and directing films. Her first narrative short Duo Li (“Lili Alone”, 2021) won numerous international awards, including the Leitz Cine Discovery Prize for Best Short Film at Cannes Critic’s Week and Best Fiction Short Film at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Her first feature script, A Girl Unknown, won the 2024 Cannes Critic’s Week Next Step Prize. Jing’s goal is to write and direct feature films that explore truths of modern life in China.
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