Breaking stereotypes

Twenty films from the Nordic countries on women are being shown at the 3rd Nordic Film Festival that began on March 2 and runs through Sunday.

The event is being organized by the Danish Cultural Center, the Nordic embassies and the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art.

The movies highlight women's right to equality in society, employment and personal relationships, striking a chord with the Chinese audience.

Tora Mkandawire Martens, director of Martha and Niki, says she hopes young people will be inspired by the films being shown and learn to "stand up for what they want".

"The challenge is to overcome the perspective that you only see women as women and men as men. Instead, you should see them as human beings, and individuals," she says, adding that it should apply to every field.

"When I go to the office of a funder, the first thing he or she thinks about me is that I am a woman. We should see beyond this," Martens says.

She has lived in Beijing for one and a half years with her family. When asked what she thinks of gender equality in China, Martens says: "I haven't gone that deep, but I can see the mother's role is really important here."

She says she often sees both grandmothers and grandfathers playing with their grandchildren in parks, which is a nice thing.