Vivian Qu (文晏)

Taipei, Nov. 25 (CNA) Chinese director and film producer Vivian Qu (文晏) won the Golden Horse Award for best director on Saturday with her dark drama "Angels Wear White" (嘉年華), which addresses the theme of child sexual assault.

With the win, Qu became only the third woman to ever win a Golden Horse Award for best director, after Hong Kong director Ann Hui and Chinese American actress and director Joan Chen.

Judges said Qu's calm and sober voice of critique reached deep into audience hearts.

"This film is about children who have been abused and about every one of us as a spectator, so it is not just a story of China, but a story that is happening everywhere around the world," Qu said in her acceptance speech.

She thanked her film crew and investors for their complete trust, and the brilliant performance of the young female actresses in her film.

Even though they are still young and might not be able to fully understand the film, "I thank them for giving a voice to those voiceless children," Qu said.

"Angels Wear White" follows a teenage motel employee called Mia, who witnesses the sexual assault of two 12-year-old girls while she covers a shift for her co-worker but doesn't say anything for fear of losing her job.

The film follows the crime's aftermath.

Qu has produced films such as "Night Train," "Knitting," and "Black Coal, Thin Ice," which won the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2014.

Her directorial debut "Trap Street" was nominated for the Luigi De Laurentiis Award at the Venice International Film Festival in 2013.

It was the first time that Qu was nominated for a Golden Horse Award and her first win. "Angels Wear White" went into the event with three nominations -- best feature film, best director and best leading actress.

The other Golden Horse best director nominees were China's Geng Jun for "Free and Easy," Taiwan's Sylvia Chang for "Love Education," Yang Ya-che for "The Bold, The Corrupt, and The Beautiful," and Hong Kong's Ann Hui for "Our Time Will Come."

(By Christie Chen)
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