Middle-aged actress Liu Xiaoqing has likewise been commended for her lead role in the film, which is different from her formally more "sophisticated" style of acting.

Director Liu Bingjian said that Plastic Flowers is both an artistic and commercial film that features love, suspense and psychology.

Liu Xiaoqing has been busy shooting several TV dramas since she was released from jail earlier this year.

The forty-three year old actress was a household name in China during the 1980s, but two years ago she was found guilty of tax evasion.

(CRI September 22, 2004)