Divining destiny

Zhang Wei again courts controversy with his latest film about how the world treats an autistic child. Chen Mengwei speaks with the director about his motivation.

Two years ago, Zhang Wei made his name by directing The Factory Boss, a plot based on true stories that tells of the rise and fall of made-in-China products through the perspective of a sweatshop owner. Two years later, the director has again grabbed media attention by turning his camera toward autistic children with The Destiny.

"I use 100 minutes to foretell the whole life of a 9-year-old autistic child. I'm exploring a destiny inherited from genes. I'm also trying hard to show the life struggles of a mother facing desperation," the 51-year-old says, while sitting up in bed in his signature red T-shirt and plaid pajama shorts in his room at the Ambassador Palace Hotel in Udine, Italy.