EXCLUSIVE: A year after it won Cannes’ Critics’ Week Next Step top prize at project stage, Chinese filmmaker Zou Jing’s debut feature A Girl Unknown has begun filming and Pyramide has scooped it up for French distribution and global sales.
The film is headlined by rising actress Li Gengxi who stars in Bi Gan’s 2025 Cannes competition entry Resurrection.
A Girl Unknown follows the tumultuous life of a young Chinese woman who lives with three different families and changes her name each time, as she navigates her identity over the years.
The China-France co-production is produced by Wang Yang of Memoria Films, Cao Xi of Emei Film Group, Didar Domehri of Maneki Films, Edmond Tao of Eagle Media, and Xu Jiahan of Pure Light Films.
Olivier Père and Rémi Burah co-produce for ARTE France Cinéma. The film also received support from the CNC’s fund Aide aux Cinemas du Monde and French tax rebate fund Cofinova.
“Pyramide’s involvement is a strong signal for A Girl Unknown,” said Domehri. ”Their commitment to emerging talents aligns beautifully with Zou Jing’s bold and emotional vision — a film we believe will resonate widely,” Domehri tells Screen and calls the film “a moving and universal story of identity, memory, and resilience.”
Writer-director Zou previously won the 2021 Critics’ Week prize for her short film Lili Alone that won a slew of awards and screened at more than 80 international film festivals.
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