Zhang Yimou

Lore & Background

Zhang Yimou was born to Zhang Bingjun, a dermatologist and former officer in the National Revolutionary Army, and Zhang Xiaoyou, a doctor. Due to his family's ties to the Nationalist movement, he faced difficulties in his early life. During the Cultural Revolution, he worked as a farm labourer for three years and at a cotton textile mill for seven years in Xianyang, taking up painting and amateur photography and selling his blood to buy his first camera. In 1978, at age 28, he was over the Beijing Film Academy's admission age limit of 22, but after presenting his portfolio to Minister of Culture Huang Zhen, he was admitted as a two-year auditing student, later becoming an official student and graduating in 1982 with classmates including Chen Kaige and Tian Zhuangzhuang, forming the core of the Fifth Generation.

After graduating, Zhang was assigned as a cinematographer at the Guangxi Film Studio. He made his acting debut in Old Well (1987), winning Best Actor at the Tokyo International Film Festival, and his directorial debut with Red Sorghum (1988), which won the Golden Bear. His early recurring theme was the resilience of ordinary people, as in To Live (1994) and Not One Less (1999). Beginning with Hero (2002), his work engaged with grand narratives on politics and history, as in Curse of the Golden Flower (2006), The Flowers Of War (2011), and Under the Light (2023). His films are noted for their rich use of colour, as in Raise the Red Lantern (1991) and House of Flying Daggers (2004), and for portraying women who propelled 'Mou Girls' to stardom, such as Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi, and Ni Ni. His highest-budgeted film is The Great Wall (2016), which became his greatest bomb, and his highest-grossing film is Full River Red (2023), the seventh highest-grossing film in China.

Zhang directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. Since 2004, he has collaborated with local governments on the 'Impression' series of outdoor live stage productions, beginning with 'Impression Liu Sanjie' in Yangshuo. Despite frequent official affiliations, he has at various points fallen foul of Chinese censors. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Yale University in 2010 and from Boston University in 2018, and in 2022 joined the Beijing Film Academy as a distinguished professor.

Reader's Guide

Zhang Yimou's significance lies in his role as a leading figure of China's Fifth Generation directors, who emerged after the Cultural Revolution and helped draw international attention to Chinese cinema. His films, from the early resilience-themed works like To Live and Not One Less to the grand historical narratives of Hero and Curse of the Golden Flower, reflect a shift in Chinese filmmaking from art-house to large-scale commercial productions. His use of colour and portrayal of women, notably through 'Mou Girls' like Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi, have become hallmarks. His direction of the 2008 and 2022 Olympic ceremonies underscores his cultural influence, while his 'Impression' series promotes tourism. Despite official affiliations, his work has faced censorship, illustrating tensions between artistic expression and state control. His legacy includes multiple international awards, including a Golden Bear and two Golden Lions, and his films have been nominated for Academy Awards.

Did You Know?

• Zhang Yimou sold his own blood to buy his first camera.
• He was admitted to the Beijing Film Academy as a two-year auditing student after the Minister of Culture was impressed by his photography portfolio.
• His film Ju Dou (1990) was China's first film nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
• He directed the opening and closing ceremonies of both the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.