Director Huo Meng on Saturday became the first Chinese mainland filmmaker to win the Silver Bear for best director at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, receiving the honor for his film "Living the Land."

Chinese director Huo Meng poses with his Silver Bear award for best director at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, Feb. 22, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Shanghai Film Group]

The film, produced by Shanghai Film Group and written and directed by Huo, captures daily life in 1990s north China through documentary-like cinematography and the authentic use of Henan province's local dialect. The film stars Wang Shang, Zhang Chuwen and Zhang Yanrong, with renowned Chinese actor Yao Chen as executive producer.

The story follows 10-year-old Xu Chuang, who lives with his grandmother and the Li family after his parents move to the city. Through scenes of spring plowing, autumn harvests, weddings and funerals, the film captures rural life and human relationships. Shot in a warm realist style, it depicts Xu's family — hardworking, resilient and hopeful — as they strive for a better life, witnessing quiet yet profound changes in their community as they navigate tradition and modernity.

In his acceptance speech, Huo emphasized filmmaking's collaborative nature. "I am grateful to the actors for portraying a group of hardworking, kind-hearted and resilient ordinary people. The most captivating aspect of film is its ability to connect the emotions of people from different places," he said.

A still from "Living the Land." [Photo courtesy of Shanghai Film Group]

The film has received critical acclaim since its Feb. 14 premiere at the festival. The Hollywood Reporter critic Jordan Mintzer stated that it "immerses the viewer in a remote Chinese agricultural community with all the precision and beauty of an accomplished artist," and praised Huo as "a master at embedding the drama within a broader fresco of social and economic transformation." In a review for Variety, Guy Lodge wrote, "Though it's gently paced and narratively diffuse, 'Living the Land' is never dull, thanks to a wealth of incident and the complexity of relationships in Huo's extended family portrait."

"I spent my childhood in a rural village," the director said at the premiere. "For thousands of years, China's countryside has shaped deeply moving qualities in the Chinese people, such as diligence, kindness and resilience."

The film, shot over a year, follows its characters through all four seasons. "It creates a realm where we can experience the way of life and the intense emotional bonds, while also witnessing the possibility of change," Huo shared.

A poster for "Living the Land." [Image courtesy of Shanghai Film Group]

"Living the Land" is Huo's third feature film, and he is the first Chinese filmmaker born in the 1980s to win a Silver Bear. An associate professor at the Shanghai Film Academy of Shanghai University, Huo previously won directorial awards for "Crossing the Border-Zhaoguan." The Shanghai International Film Festival selected him last year for its SIFF YOUNG program, which supports emerging filmmakers with domestic and international film industry resources.

The 75th Berlin International Film Festival, also known as the "Berlinale," ran from Feb. 13 to 23. Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud won the Golden Bear for best film with "Dreams," while Brazilian filmmaker Gabriel Mascaro's "The Blue Trail" received the grand jury prize. U.S. director Todd Haynes led the main competition jury. Nineteen films competed in the main competition, including two Chinese entries — the other being "Girls on Wire" by director Vivian Qu.