In the past decade, a group of female film directors have emerged, and they have all chosen women as the main subject in their debut works. Through a unique female perspective, they have deepened the exploration of gender in domestic women-themed films and opened up new expressive spaces on social realities and women's struggles. By portraying strong-willed female protagonists as narrative focal points through bodily narratives, they showcase women awakening from the male gaze and ultimately achieving a castration of male images. The gender narratives of emerging female directors enrich the representation of women in domestic films, addressing the challenges faced by young women today and promoting the development of related genres, injecting new vitality into Chinese cinema.

Zhao Zheng. Awakening and Castrating: Gender Narratives in the Debut Works of Emerging Female Directors. Frontiers in Art Research (2024) Vol. 6, Issue 3: 58-62. https://doi.org/10.25236/FAR.2024.060310.

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