The new focus on women in film

Surge in female-oriented movies not only reflects China's changing social mores, but also ties into wider world trends, Xu Fan reports.

Despite the evening chill, 34-year-old Yang Feifei recently left one downtown Beijing cinema in a warm, happy glow. Confessing that she had been feeling a little depressed in the wake of a failed relationship and workplace stress, she said she found respite in watching Her Story, the country's box-office champion this month.

A bit of a Chinese version of Barbie, the world's highest-grossing film last year, Her Story has emerged as an unexpected blockbuster. It employs a gentle, humorous tone to examine a series of pointed, controversial issues, such as the difficulties faced by single mothers and gender equality in sexual relationships.

Since its debut in late November, the film has earned more than 640 million yuan ($87.9 million), surpassing British director Ridley Scott's historical epic Gladiator II to dominate the single-day box-office charts for 24 days, according to Beacon, a real-time movie information tracker.