Zhang Yuan

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Zhang Yuan, Cines del Sur 2007

Zhang Yuan ( Chinese  張 元  /  张 元 , Pinyin Zhāng Yuán , * 1963 in Nanjing , People's Republic of China ) is a Chinese director .

Life

Zhang graduated from the Beijing Film Academy with a degree in cinematography in 1989 . His first film "Mama" (妈妈) from 1992 about a mother and her mentally retarded child was approved by the Chinese authorities, but distribution was restricted. Zhang therefore decided to make his next films without permission, Beijing Bastards (1993), Sons (1996) and The Square (1994) were officially banned.

In these films, Zhang showed the apolitical life of an underground youth culture and problems of modern society such as alcoholism . In the documentary The Square he reports on the events at Tian'anmen Square in 1989 . Beijing Bastards , which he shot with the Chinese rock star Cui Jian , is considered the first important film of the so-called sixth generation of Chinese film directors.

The film East Palace, West Palace (1996) about homosexuality was shown in many art house cinemas abroad . Despite the ban, he traveled to the Cannes Film Festival , where the film was shown. After that, his passport was revoked, and it was only after eight months and Zhang agreed to work with the film authorities that he got his passport back.

Thanks to the cooperation with the authorities, it was then possible for Zhang's films to be shown in China for the first time, albeit only in a different form. Zhang had mostly financed his films with his own funds, which he earned from the production of music videos and commercials . Only East Palace, West Palace has been shown in international cinemas.

For his film Seventeen Years (1999) he received the award for best director at the Venice Film Festival .

Filmography

  • Dada's Dance (达达, Dádá ) (2009)
  • Little Red Flowers (看上去 很美, Kan shang qu hen mei ) (2006)
  • Green Tea (绿茶, Lü cha ) (2003)
  • I Love You (我 爱 你, Wo ai ni ) (2003)
  • Seventeen Years (过年 回家, Guo nian hui jia ) (1999)
  • Crazy English (疯狂 英语, Fengkuang yingyu ) (1999)
  • East Palace, West Palace ( Chinese   东宫 西宫 , Pinyin dōng gōng xī gōng ) (1996)
  • Danish Girls Show Everything ( Danske piger viser alt ) (1996)
  • Sons (儿子, Erzi ) (1996)
  • The Square (广场, Guang Chang ) (1994)
  • Beijing Bastards (北京 杂种, Beijing za zhong ) (1993)
  • Mum (妈妈, Mama ) (1992)

See also

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Zhang, Yuan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES 張 元 (Chinese)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Chinese director
DATE OF BIRTH 1963
PLACE OF BIRTH Nanjing , People's Republic of China