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October 21, 2018

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Tribute to iconic director of Chinese cinema

ZHANG Yimou, one of China’s fifth-generation art film directors, is considered one of the most influential figures in Chinese cinematic history.

The acclaimed director’s first personal film retrospective exhibition was recently held in Shanghai. Film critics, scholars and actors also gathered at a forum on October 15 to exchange their views on the director’s art and his contribution to China’s film industry.

The film exhibition and forum were organized by Chunfan Art Film Center. The center was founded by veteran Chinese actors Wang Jingchun and Liao Fan, who hope to provide art-house movies with a wider platform of public screening and exchange.

Wang, who won the Best Actor award at the 26th Tokyo International Film Festival, has collaborated with director Zhang on the martial arts film “Shadow.” He was impressed by the director’s perfectionism for filmmaking, from the details of props and acting to scenes.

“I watched Zhang’s award-winning film ‘Red Sorghum’ numerous times,” said Wang. “In a sense, I decided to take up the acting career because of this classic film. Zhang is not only a mentor for young film directors and actors, but an icon of the Chinese cinema as well.”

Born in 1950, Zhang, a native of Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, entered the Cinematography Department of Beijing Film Academy in 1978. Afterwards he had a long and distinguished career from cinematographer, to actor and then to director.

In the past three decades, Zhang has directed more than 20 movies of diverse genres, including war, martial arts and comedy thriller. Many of his films have won coveted awards around the world.

The “Red Sorghum,” the first film directed by Zhang in 1987, garnered the Golden Bear award at the 38th Berlin International Film Festival. It was the first time a Chinese filmmaker won a top film prize at a major film festival in Europe.

In 1991, he won a Silver Lion award at the 48th Venice International Film Festival for “Raise the Red Lantern,” following it up with a Golden Lion in 1992 for “The Story of Qiu Ju,” There was another Golden Lion in 1999 for “Not One Less.”

Zhang began to direct commercial films in 2002. “Hero,” a martial arts film with stunning visuals, won him an Oscar nomination for best foreign-language film. Later, the director’s “House of Flying Daggers,” “Curse of the Golden Flower,” and “The Flowers of War” all became box office hits. Zhang was also the director of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

In the eyes of Li Zhenlin, deputy director of China Film Literature Society, Zhang is a film master and each of his movies has something new to offer.

“The success of the ‘Red Sorghum’ was a turning point for China’s fifth-generation filmmakers, who realized the importance of both a good story and cinematography,” Li said.

Li noted that Zhang’s generation didn’t have many choices for creation, but he was the one who was always in brave pursuit of his film dreams. Zhang was the first of his generation who shifted from art-house movies to commercial works to bring a large audience back to cinema.

“‘Hero’ broke the ice of the then slack Chinese film market when the yearly box office gross only had about 900 million yuan (US$130 million),” Li added. “The commercial success of the movie boosted the confidence of many investors. From then on, China’s film industry entered a new stage of rapid growth. In that sense, Zhang is not only a film artist, but a strategist as well.”

Professor Shi Chuan from Shanghai Theater Academy said that Zhang has made all-round contributions to the Chinese cinema. He was also among the first batch of Chinese filmmakers who brought their works to the international market.

He mentioned that when “Hero” was released in American theaters in 2004, it turned out to be a huge box office hit. For two consecutive weeks, it was the first Chinese-language movie to be No. 1 at the American box office. The film also encouraged many art-house film directors to venture into commercial filmmaking.

Zhang used to tell the press that although young Chinese audiences are accustomed to watching Hollywood blockbusters nowadays, Chinese filmmakers can never lose their cultural traditions and marks. They should keep telling their own stories.

“Shadow,” Zhang’s latest offering, is a martial arts epic set in the Three Kingdoms (AD 220-280). It is centered on the lives and emotions of “shadow” men who substituted royals and aristocrats in times of danger. China’s long tradition of ink brush painting is also incorporated into the film’s exquisite visuals.

However, Zhang’s films are not perfect in the eyes of Ye Xin, vice president of China Writers Association.

Ye said that “The Red Sorghum” is the best of all his credits in storytelling. Compared with cinematography and visuals, a good story and marvelous storytelling methods are still the foundation of a good film.”

Following the exhibition of Zhang, Chunfan Art Film Center plans to put more acclaimed art-house films by both celebrated filmmakers and young independent directors on display. Since China still doesn’t have its art cinema lines, the center also hopes to provide a special venue for regular screening of art-house works in the future.




 

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