Director’s debut feature enters Beijing International Film Festival spotlight amid renewed global conversations on women’s rights

A century-old criminal case from Switzerland is at the center of Frieda’s Case, the debut feature from German-Swiss filmmaker Maria Brendle. The historical drama, set in 1904, follows the trial of Frieda Keller, a young seamstress accused of murdering her son. The case, and the laws surrounding it, cast a stark light on gender inequality, both past and present.

The film, which premiered at the Zurich Film Festival in October, is part of the main competition at the 15th Beijing International Film Festival this month. Actor-director Jiang Wen will lead the competition jury. Brendle, who co-wrote the script with Michèle Minelli and Robert Buchschwenter, said she was drawn to the project because of its continuing relevance beyond its immediate setting in early 20th-century St. Gallen.

“This is a story about women’s rights,...