On September 21, at the AI content creation awards hosted by Douyin, scriptwriter and director Phi Phi Phi received a silver award for her work, "The Fired Girl". The film also secured wins in additional categories, including Most Promising Work and Best Character, achieving significant success at the competition.

The film centers on Phuong Dao Tu, a young woman from the countryside who dreams of becoming a model and seeks opportunities in the city. After refusing sexual advances, she faces oppression in the industry. Phuong Dao Tu eventually makes it to the runways of Paris Fashion Week through her intelligence and perseverance.

Scriptwriter and director Phi Phi Phi, aged 37. Photo: Vista

Launched on Douyin on June 12, the film garnered 200 million views within one month and has now surpassed 500 million views. The work received over 800 million comments across social media platforms, becoming a top entertainment highlight of this summer in Trung Quoc.

The film mirrors the director's experiences in her twenties. Between the ages of 20 and 27, she worked as a photo model, primarily shooting advertisements for e-commerce platforms. Some days, Phi Phi Phi changed over 100 outfits for shoots, yet partners offered her neither a glass of water nor a break. Her income for such a day's work was 400 yuan (approximately 1.5 million VND). She felt disregarded, like an inanimate object, despite working hard for her earnings. This detail is incorporated into the first episode of "The Fired Girl".

Phi Phi Phi developed the character Phuong Dao Tu based on her own experiences. Photo: Weibo

On The Paper, Phi Phi Phi stated that "The Fired Girl" completely transformed her life and career direction, helping her escape a long period of uncertainty and a bleak future.

During her unemployment, Phi Phi Phi spent many sleepless nights unsure of her next step. Lacking professional qualifications, she could not continue modeling because partners considered her "overage". At that time, short films were new to many, so she decided to give it a try.

Phi Phi Phi secured a job with a short film crew, initially managing communications and fan groups. She found this work unfulfilling, constantly counting likes and comments. Afterward, Phi Phi Phi explored scriptwriting and discovered her talent in this field.

She established a production company, enduring many failures because "no one watched or liked the films". In March this year, Phi Phi Phi first encountered AI tools. She encouraged her team members to learn how to use them, and by May, they released two AI-powered films. "The Fired Girl" followed one month later. Phi Phi Phi handled the script and direction, one person generated images, and another managed art and character design. Each episode was completed in two to three days, allowing them to produce 11 episodes in one month.

Beyond the film's character, Phi Phi Phi created social media accounts for Phuong Dao Tu, developing the model into a real-life star, attracting over half a million followers. Since early August, Phuong Dao Tu has secured advertisements; videos under 20 seconds are priced at nearly 170,000 yuan (approximately 661 million VND), while videos over 60 seconds are nearly 260,000 yuan (over one billion VND). These rates exceed those of many key opinion leaders (KOLs) with millions of fans in Trung Quoc, and even some with tens of millions. In September, Phuong Dao Tu appeared in a fashion magazine, wearing outfits from luxury brand Fendi's fall-winter 2026 collection.

Phi Phi Phi admits she lacks advanced degrees and formal film education. However, her team is "committed to learning and using AI". The director concluded that if her company did not change its production methods and processes, it would be eliminated.

In live-action films, directors often overlook imperfections in a scene to save costs, such as inadequate lighting or poor actor expressions. Now, directors no longer need to worry about such issues.

Phi Phi Phi states that the success of "The Fired Girl" is not solely due to luck; a significant part comes from precision at every stage. For example, considering what Dao Tu wears in a scene, her seating position in a cafe, or how sunlight falls on her face. All details are meticulously planned so that audiences remain focused while watching the 11 episodes.

AI beauty Phuong Dao Tu wears a Fendi dress on the cover of Cosmo Crush, an online platform of Cosmopolitan magazine's Chinese edition. Photo: Cosmo

According to The Paper, the case of "The Fired Girl" sends a strong signal to content producers. The work breaks away from the "overbearing CEO" trope, adopting a realistic approach rooted in the director's life experiences. The film resonates with the feelings of many modern workers: the sense of not being heard or being replaced.

The publication suggests that audiences will not care if a film is AI-generated but will value the story. Even if a character is a virtual AI product, if it can move the audience, that character will be remembered.

Phi Phi Phi believes AI is superior to real actors. "Artists perform according to the script and director's requirements, while AI has no concept of 'acting'; it only expresses human intentions. When the director's vision is complete and clear, the results AI generates can be more authentic and vivid than human performance," she said.

Nhu Anh