Sun Li binds down her breasts and dresses up as a young man in Iron Road. [File photo: Chinanews.com]

Chinese actress Sun Li was crowned best actress in the 2nd Roma FictionFest due to her excellent performance in the film "Iron Road" directed by David Wu, Yangtze Evening News reports.

A departure from her previous girlish roles, Sun Li had to bind down her breasts, and dress and behave like a young man for the film.

Sun Li said she found playing the character very interesting.

She plays a poor Chinese girl in search of her father who works at a railroad in North America. During her journey, she falls in love with the son of a Canadian railroad tycoon. Thus, having to speak English in the film posed another challenge for her.

Sun Li worked in the Canada-China joint collaboration alongside Hong Kong veteran Tony Leung Ka Fai, Canadian actor Luke MacFarlane, and Oskar winner Peter O'Toole.