Award-winning Chinese Prison Film Draws Backlash Over Claims It Glamorizes Crime

A Chinese film that casts a real-life former prisoner as its lead has run into a public backlash ahead of its planned May 30 release, with the lead actress's social media accounts restricted and its release now in doubt.

The film has drawn criticism over its promotion as a "true story adaptation" and accusations that it glamorises criminal behavior.

Lead actress Zhao Xiaohong's account on Weibo displayed a notice stating it had been restricted "for violating laws, regulations, or community guidelines." Her Douyin account was also no longer accessible. The production team said on Monday it was in discussions with the Shanghai Film Bureau over a possible delay, Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation reported.

"Her Heart Beats in Its Cage" tells the story of a female prisoner who is jailed after killing her husband and follows her journey to rebuild her relationship with her son and mother-in-law after her release.

Zhao won the Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance at the 73rd San Sebastián International Film Festival in Spain on September 27, 2025. The award drew little domestic scrutiny at the time.

Promotional materials describe it as "based on a true story" and emphasize that the lead actress portrays herself in the film, but this characterization is disputed. Reports have noted that the court case file contains no police reports, injury records, or witness testimony supporting claims of long-term abuse. The controversy intensified after Zhao previously revealed on social media that she had served 10 years in prison.

According to Dahe Daily, director and screenwriter Qin Xiaoyu previously said Zhao participated in filming while still serving her prison sentence.

In an earlier interview, Qin said that preparations for the project began in June 2018. It was originally conceived as a documentary intended to authentically portray prisons, correctional officers, and inmates through real footage.

The production team reportedly completed extensive approval procedures to conduct filming and interviews inside prisons and ultimately received support from relevant departments under Ministry of Justice.

Zhou Zhaocheng, a lawyer at Beijing Anjian Law Offices, wrote on Weibo that people serving prison sentences are generally prohibited from participating in commercial film productions, except for non-commercial rehabilitation-related activities.

According to Zhou, Zhao was still serving her sentence during filming in 2019. Her participation as the lead actress in a commercially distributed feature film, he argued, appeared to exceed the legal boundaries governing inmate involvement in media productions.

Zhou also raised concerns about whether the production may have violated both the approved public-interest purpose and prison management regulations, if it was initially approved as a documentary project but later developed into a commercial feature film.