A Simple Life

Filmmaker Ang Lee and actor Zhang Ziyi in conversation with Academy President Janet Yang.

While trying to stay focused on her upcoming college entrance exams, Nian (Zhou Dongyu) deals with extreme physical and emotional bullying from her classmates. Small-time criminal Bei (played by Mandopop singer Jackson Yee, in his first leading role) becomes Nian’s protector after she attempts to help him during an encounter with a group of street thugs. As the teens from opposite worlds spend more time together, romantic feelings blossom. Derek Tsang’s intense drama picked up numerous awards and nominations in Hong Kong and became the third film Hong Kong submitted to be nominated in the International Feature Film category at the Oscars.