French distributor Malavida has swooped in on Chinese auteur Wang Chao’s acclaimed drama “A Woman”, securing the French rights to the 2022 film that won the screenplay prize at San Sebastián but has never received a theatrical release in France. The announcement was made at Lyon’s International Classic Film Market (MIFC), where Malavida also revealed a much bigger tribute to the filmmaker in the works.
A still from “A Woman” (Credits: Malavida)
The distributor is preparing a full-scale Wang Chao retrospective for spring 2027, slated to launch on March 24. Alongside “A Woman,” Malavida has picked up three of the director’s earlier features — “The Orphan of Anyang” (2001), “Day and Night” (2004) and “Luxury Car” (2006) — and plans to restore “The Orphan of Anyang” as part of the program. Wang himself is expected to travel to France for the retrospective, giving French cinephiles a rare chance to meet one of contemporary Chinese cinema’s most distinctive voices.
Malavida’s Classic Film Market Haul
The Wang Chao package headlined a busy slate of acquisitions unveiled by Malavida during the Lyon market. The distributor also announced a Dino Risi retrospective, a Roger Deakins-supervised restoration of “1984”, and new Philippe Katerine releases — underscoring its reputation as one of France’s most taste-driven homes for classic and arthouse cinema.
For Wang Chao, the French push marks a long-overdue moment of recognition. “A Woman” earned the screenplay award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival, yet it remained theatrically unreleased in France despite its festival pedigree. The new deal finally gives the film the theatrical platform it deserves, while the 2027 retrospective promises to reintroduce French audiences to a filmmaker whose earlier work — including the Cannes-lauded “The Orphan of Anyang” and “Luxury Car” — helped define a generation of independent Chinese filmmaking.
Why This Retrospective Matters
Wang Chao has long been regarded as a filmmaker’s filmmaker, crafting quiet, observational dramas that map the human cost of China’s rapid transformation. Restoring “The Orphan of Anyang” for the retrospective signals Malavida’s commitment to presenting his work at its best, and the filmmaker’s planned presence in France adds a major cultural event to the 2027 cinema calendar.
With Malavida backing the rollout, “A Woman” and the accompanying retrospective look set to cement Wang Chao’s standing among France’s discerning arthouse audience — a market that has historically embraced international auteurs with open arms.
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Source: Variety — read the full story there.