Another Chinese film, Guan Hu's "Black Dog" was also announced as the winner of the side section, Un Certain Regard.
Hu, the director of some of the biggest blockbusters of recent years such as wartime epic "The Eight Hundred," returned to his indie roots for his new film.
"When we make films that are a little more intimate, there is less pressure, they become more sincere films," he told AFP.
"She's Got No Name," playing out-of-competition, by acclaimed Hong Kong director Peter Chan, has been generating a lot of buzz on Chinese social media thanks largely to its cast.
Zhang starred in the Oscar-winning "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Rush Hour" alongside Jackie Chan, and earned a Golden Globe nomination for "Memoirs of a Geisha".
Alongside her are Lei Jiayin, Yang Mi and Jackson Yee, of hugely successful boyband TFBoys and Oscar-nominated 2019 film "Better Days".
Also bound to draw attention is the subject matter, which is based on a notorious murder case during the 1940s Japanese occupation of Shanghai.
Zhang plays Zhan-Shou, a resilient woman in an unhappy marriage who is charged with the dismemberment of her husband.
Women's rights are sensitive territory in today's China.
Under President Xi Jinping, authorities have cracked down on almost every kind of feminist activism, restricting NGOs, arresting high-profile figures, and suspending social media accounts.
Anything seen as feminist is increasingly considered a challenge to authority, and celebrities often feel the need to publicly disavow feminism.
- Lockdown drama -
Cannes has seen a return of Chinese cinema this year after a notable absence caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the country's stringent lockdown.
The heavy-handed response of authorities to the pandemic was the subject of "An Unfinished Film", which premiered out-of-competition at the festival last week.
The highly "meta" drama shows a film crew meeting near Wuhan in early 2020. When one falls ill, others are forcibly locked in their hotel rooms for months.
Featuring amateur footage of anti-lockdown protests, the film was produced in Singapore and Germany, and is unlikely to see the light of day in China, due to strict censorship.
Other Chinese films at Cannes this year have included auteur Jia Zhang-ke's latest Palme d'Or entry, "Caught By The Tides", and "Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In", a well-received martial arts thriller.
Meanwhile, "Black Dog" told the story of a man who returns to his home town after a spell in prison is far from the flag-waving patriotism of his commercial films.
Its director claimed there was markedly less censorship in the film industry these days.
"A few years ago, it could have hindered my work... but I find in recent years, there has been a clear improvement (in regard to censorship)," Hu told AFP.
"Today, it is the market that decides everything."
He also said international festivals were vital to diplomacy.
"It's very important to exchange with different cultures. But if we really want to understand each other, we need to go and shoot films abroad and also have others come and shoot in China. I have this desire," he said.
Distributor removes Hong Kong protest song after court order
Hong Kong (AFP) May 24, 2024 -
A Hong Kong protest song was taken off streaming platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify around the world on Friday, with the distributor citing the city's recent ban on the song.
"Glory to Hong Kong", an anthem that emerged during the city's 2019 pro-democracy protests, was banned this month when judges ruled that it had become a "weapon" to incite unrest.
The case has been closely watched for how it would affect tech firms and internet platform operators, with concerns raised over the free flow of information and free expression in Hong Kong.
Digital music distributor EmuBands said it had removed the song globally from platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, Facebook and Instagram.
"It was our decision to remove the song and yes, this is because of the court order," managing director Ally Gray of the Scotland-based company told AFP.
"We understand that this is a very complex and sensitive case," Gray said.
"We are not experts in the issues involved and would not wish to insult anyone's intelligence by pretending that we are."
The song's creator, known by the moniker DGX Music, said on Friday they opposed its removal and "hope to have the song reinstated as soon as possible".
"The injunction does not have extraterritorial jurisdiction. More importantly, the song itself is not banned," DGX Music said in a statement.
Hong Kong's appeal court banned a range of acts this month that included performing and broadcasting "Glory to Hong Kong" with criminal intent.
YouTube, part of the Alphabet digital empire that includes Google, confirmed that it had blocked access to some videos of the song from Hong Kong users.
However, some of the YouTube videos deemed problematic by judges were still accessible outside the city.
Hong Kong leader John Lee said this week that officials will continue to monitor internet platforms for any non-compliance.
Lee's administration sought a court order last year after the song was erroneously played at international sporting events as Hong Kong's official anthem, instead of China's "March of the Volunteers".
The United States has slammed the ban as a blow to Hong Kong's international reputation. Beijing authorities defended the ban as a "necessary measure" to safeguard national security.
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