Yellow is Forbidden (2018) chronicles the remarkable journey of Chinese fashion designer Guo Pei as she navigates the exclusive and exclusionary world of haute couture. Based in Shanghai, Guo blends traditional Chinese cultural motifs with an aesthetic tailored to Western sensibilities in her opulent designs. Raised during the Cultural Revolution, the concept of ‘fashion’ was initially foreign to Guo, yet she went on to become one of the first fashion graduates in China during the 1980s and 1990s.

The documentary follows Guo as she prepares for her highly anticipated Spring 2017 runway show at the historic La Conciergerie in Paris, the former prison where Marie Antoinette was held before her execution. This jaw-dropping fashion spectacle represents the culmination of Guo's intense campaign to be accepted into the elite Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, an esteemed and insular group of 14 French fashion elite that includes revered houses like Chanel, Christian Dior, and Givenchy. As an outsider, Guo faces significant challenges in breaking into this rarefied circle, but her tenacity and talent drive her forward.

With its exquisite cinematography and meticulous attention to detail, the film immerses the viewer in the sumptuous world of high fashion. Yet it also includes more sober appraisals of Guo and her methods, particularly in scenes depicting her overworked team of embroiderers. Ultimately, Yellow is Forbidden is a complex and considered portrait of a trailblazing designer whose rags-to-riches story mirrors China's own hard-earned passage to global influence.

Pietra Brettkelly (b. 1965, New Zealand) is a documentary filmmaker known for her masterful storytelling that explores personal journeys while reflecting larger societal issues. Besides Yellow is Forbidden, her acclaimed works include A Flickering Truth (2015) about the Afghan Film Archives in Kabul, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival; Māori Boy Genius (2011) about a 16-year-old Māori prodigy who studies politics at Yale, which screened at Berlin International Film Festival; and The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins (2008) about performance artist Vanessa Beecroft, which won Best Editing, World Documentary at Sundance.