Chinese director Yang Yazhou's film Loach is Fish Too, which stars Ni Ping and Ni Da-hong, has been awarded Best Artistic Contribution at the 18th Tokyo Film Festival.
It is the first time for the director has taken home an international award after he won a number of domestic awards for his TV dramas.
When asked about whether he would spend more time on films in the future, the director said that although films are his favorite, Chinese audiences love TV dramas more, and he would never give that up.
The awarded film expertly fuses an evocative love story with a powerful portrayal of the tough lives of migrant workers in China.
The director noted, "There are so many migrant workers in China but no film has ever portrayed them, so I felt it my responsibility to do so. Not enough films in China depict the ordinary people of the country."
The film has reached a deal with the biggest distributor in Japan.
(CRI November 2, 2005)
