Considered to be China's top film event (the country's equivalent of Oscars), the annual China Golden Rooster Awards (named for the year of the Rooster) were handed out late last month at the Golden Rooster & Hundred Flowers Film Festival, as I just learned, and a film we've previously covered on S&A picked up a trophy in a major category!

It's been awhile since we introduced you to an Italian drama/thriller titled Ainom, which stars Eritrean actress, Lula Teclehaimanot, and directed by Mario Garofalo and Lorenzo Ceva Valla.

The film centers on a young woman (played by Lula), "an ex-guerrilla fighter who fled Eritrea and now works in a ski resort in France; and though she plans to reunite with her husband and child, she gets caught up in a cycle of physical and psychological violence, after she accepts the amorous attentions of a man named Enrico." Essentially, the peace she was hoping to find turns into a nightmare, and she has to find a way to escape.

The film, said to build in a "a crescendo of suspense,"  deals with several themes, like immigration and social denunciation, amongst others.

I just got word that it won the Golden Rooster for Best Director at the Golden Rooster & Hundred Flowers Film Festival, as already noted, the most important Chinese film awards ceremony, which is described as being a combo film fair, festival and gala, presented by the China Film Association.

Award recipients receive a statuette in the shape of a golden rooster, and are selected by a jury of film makers, film experts, and film historians.

Why this film won the Best Director award at the Chinese equivalent of the Oscars escapes me; maybe someone out there can enlighten me. I'm contacting the filmmakers to get some further info on this.

I should note that Sergio and I actually have the full version of the film in digital format, but I never got to watch it (the filmmakers were kind enough to give a copy a couple of months ago, when Sergio first wrote about the film); I tried, but, there were some issues with the download link. Since then, so much has happened and I'd forgotten all about it… until now. I'll make another attempt.

But congrats to the directors and the film, which still doesn't have a lot of buzz going for it; I haven't read any reviews yet, and so I have absolutely no idea what to expect. But I'm certainly curious. Stay tuned…

Watch the trailer below (unfortunately it's not subtitled)