French film star Sophie Marceau was in Beijing on Monday to promote the Chinese release of her film "Don't Look Back".

The psychological thriller opened in China on March 5.

In the film, Marceau shares the lead role with Italian actress Monica Bellucci. Together they portray a married woman who is confused by who she is, and as she sets out to find her true identity, discovers her strange bodily transformation has something to do with her childhood.

Acknowledging that a happy childhood plays a crucial role in character development, Marceau says she is not willing to stay away from her children for too long and has had to turn down some projects for that reason.

As she was in Beijing in time for International Women's Day, Marceau also noted the growing influence of women in the movie industry. She said she was happy for her longtime friend, Kathryn Bigelow, who just won the Oscar award for Best Director for her Iraq war film "The Hurt Locker". Bigelow is the first woman to win the honor in the Academy Awards' 82-year history.