Editing Zhang Yimou

{{short description|Chinese filmmaker (born 1950)}}
{{family name hatnote|[[Zhang (surname)|Zhang (张)]]|lang=Chinese}}
{{infobox person
| honorific_prefix   = [[Professor]]
| name               = Zhang Yimou
| image              = Zhang Yimou from "Full River Red" at Red Carpet of the Tokyo International Film Festival 2023 (53347207442) (cropped).jpg
| alt                = cropped headshot of Zhang at Tokyo International Film Festival 2023
| caption            = Zhang in 2023
| native_name        = {{nobold|张艺谋}}
| native_name_lang   = zh
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1950|11|14}}
| birth_place        = [[Xi'an]], [[Shaanxi]], China
| nationality        = China
| alma_mater         = [[Beijing Film Academy]]
| occupation         = [[Film director]], [[Film producer|producer]], [[cinematographer]] and [[actor]]
| known_for          = One of the representative figures of China's "fifth generation directors"
| notable_works      = {{ubl|''[[Full River Red]]''|''[[House of Flying Daggers]]''|''[[Cliff Walkers]]''|''[[The Flowers of War]]''}}
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Xiao Hua ({{lang|zh-Hans|肖华}})|1978|1988}}
* {{marriage|Chen Ting ({{lang|zh-Hans|陈婷}})|2011}}
}}
| children           = 4, including [[Zhang Mo (director)|Zhang Mo]]
| awards             = {{slink|#Awards and nominations}}
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| pic = Zhang Yimou (Chinese characters).svg
| piccap = Zhang's name in Simplified (top) and Traditional (bottom) Chinese characters
| picupright = 0.475
| t = 張藝謀
| s = 张艺谋
| order = st
| p = Zhāng Yìmóu
| mi = {{IPAc-cmn|zh|ang|1|-|yi|4|.|m|ou|2}}
| j = {{tonesup|Zoeng1 Ngai6-mau4}}
| ci = {{IPAc-yue|z|oeng|1|-|ng|ai|6|.|m|au|4}}
| y = Jēung Ngaihmàuh
| w = {{tonesup|Chang1 I4-mou2}}
| bpmf = ㄓㄤ ㄧˋ ㄇㄡˊ
}}

'''Zhang Yimou''' ({{Lang-zh|s=张艺谋|t=張藝謀|p=Zhāng Yìmóu}}; born 14 November 1950)<ref>{{Cite web|date=|title=ZHANG Yimou / Grand Prize 2002|url=https://fukuoka-prize.org/en/laureates/detail/05d65fcf-ffdd-4264-a567-70b8da159d7b|access-date=30 July 2024|website=Fukuoka Prize|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=|title=Director Zhang Yimou to give master class at Chinese film festival|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-07/22/c_138247953.htm|access-date=30 July 2024|website=Xinhuanet|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Farquhar">{{cite magazine | url=http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/02/zhang.html | title=Zhang Yimou | author=Farquhar, Mary | magazine=[[Senses of Cinema]] | date=May 2002 | access-date=27 September 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013004614/http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/02/zhang.html | archive-date=13 October 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Zhang-Yimou|title=Zhang Yimou {{!}} Biography, Credits, & Facts|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2020-04-11}}</ref><!-- There is dispute about this birthdate. Please see talk page discussion --> is a Chinese filmmaker.<ref name="Tasker">[[Tasker, Yvonne]] (2002). "Zhang Yimou" in [https://books.google.com/books?id=xjQ7ifqiIksC&dq=Zhang+Yimou&pg=PA412 ''Fifty Contemporary Filmmakers'']. Routledge Publishing, p. 412. {{ISBN|0-415-18974-8}}. Google Book Search. Retrieved 21 August 2008.</ref><ref>{{cite journal |language=zh |author1=Mei Gui ({{lang|zh|玫瑰}}) |script-title=zh:张艺谋：人过古稀 |trans-title=Zhang Yimou: a man over seventy years old |journal=Culture and History Vision |volume=626 |location=Yuhua District, Changsha, Hunan |publisher=Integrated Media Center of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference |year=2022 |pages=64–67 |issn=1672-8653}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |language=zh |author1=Zhou Xiaofan ({{lang|zh|周小烦}})|script-title=zh:张艺谋：双奥导演返璞归真 |trans-title=Zhang Yimou: director of the Olympics returning to nature |pages=10–11 |volume=361 |journal=Youth Digest |location=Beijing |publisher=China Youth Press |year=2022 |issn=1673-4955}}</ref> A leading figure of China's [[Cinema of China#Rise of the fifth generation|Fifth Generation]] directors, he made his [[List of directorial debuts|directorial debut]] in 1988 with ''[[Red Sorghum (film)|Red Sorghum]],'' which won the [[Golden Bear]] at the [[Berlin International Film Festival]].<ref name="allmovie">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/zhang-yimou-117624|title=Zhang Yimou - Biography|publisher=[[Allmovie]]|author=Jonathan Crow|access-date=12 January 2009}}</ref>

Zhang has won numerous awards and recognitions, with three Academy Awards nominations for Best Foreign Language Film for ''[[Ju Dou]]'' in 1990, ''[[Raise the Red Lantern]]'' in 1991, and ''[[Hero (2002 film)|Hero]]'' in 2003; a [[Silver Lion]], two [[Golden Lion]] prizes and the [[Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award|Glory to the Filmmaker Award]] at the [[Venice Film Festival]]; [[Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival)|Grand Jury Prize]], [[Prize of the Ecumenical Jury]] and [[Vulcan Award|Technical Grand Prize]] at the [[Cannes Film Festival]]; the [[Golden Bear]], the [[Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize]] and the [[Prize of the Ecumenical Jury]] at the [[Berlin International Film Festival]].<ref name="tribute.ca">{{Cite web|url=http://www.tribute.ca/people/Zhang+Yimou/4873|title=Zhang Yimou Bio|publisher=tribute.ca|access-date=1 September 2010}}</ref> In 1993, he was a member of the jury at the [[43rd Berlin International Film Festival]].<ref name="Berlinale">{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1993/04_jury_1993/04_Jury_1993.html |title=Berlinale: 1993 Juries |access-date=29 May 2011 |work=berlinale.de}}</ref> Zhang directed the [[2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony|opening]] and [[2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony|closing ceremonies]] of the [[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games]] as well as the [[2022 Winter Olympics opening ceremony|opening]] and [[2022 Winter Olympics closing ceremony|closing ceremonies]] of the [[2022 Winter Olympics|2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games]], which received considerable international acclaim.

One of Zhang's recurrent themes is the resilience of ordinary people in the face of hardship and adversity, a theme which has been explored in such films as ''[[To Live (1994 film)|To Live]]'' (1994) and ''[[Not One Less]]'' (1999). His films are particularly noted for their rich use of colour, as can be seen in some of his early films, like ''[[Raise the Red Lantern]]'' (1991), and in his [[wuxia]] films like ''[[Hero (2002 film)|Hero]]'' (2002) and ''[[House of Flying Daggers]]'' (2004). His highest-budgeted film to date is the all-star ''[[The Great Wall (film)|The Great Wall]]'' (2016), which also became his greatest bomb. His highest-grossing film to date is ''[[Full River Red]]'' (2023),<ref>{{Cite web |title=2023年全国电影票房549.15亿元 《满江红》获年度票房冠军 |url=https://m.cyol.com/gb/articles/2024-01/01/content_4wV6v4hWlp.html#:~:text=2023%E5%B9%B4%EF%BC%8C%E5%85%B1%E6%9C%8911%E9%83%A8,%E6%80%BB%E7%A5%A8%E6%88%BF38.48%E4%BA%BF%E5%85%83%E3%80%82 |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=m.cyol.com}}</ref> which also became the highest-grossing film in Asia that year and the seventh [[List of highest-grossing films in China|highest-grossing film of all time in China]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=《满江红》获亚洲电影大奖“2023年最高票房亚洲电影”_锋线视频_澎湃新闻-The Paper |url=https://m.thepaper.cn/kuaibao_detail.jsp?contid=26589066&from=kuaibao |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=m.thepaper.cn}}</ref> Zhang was awarded an honorary doctorate from [[Yale University]] in 2010<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-05-24 |title=Citations for Recipients of Honorary Degrees at Yale University 2010 |url=https://news.yale.edu/2010/05/24/citations-recipients-honorary-degrees-yale-university-2010 |access-date=2023-06-22 |website=YaleNews |language=en |quote=A genius with camera and choreography... From film to opera to live performance, your artistry amazes and entertains... We are delighted to bestow on you this degree of Doctor of Fine Arts.}}</ref> and from [[Boston University]] in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-05-11 |title=Filmmaker Zhang Yimou to Receive Honorary Degree |url=https://www.bu.edu/articles/2018/zhang-yimou/ |access-date=2023-06-22 |website=Boston University |language=en}}</ref> In 2022, he joined the [[Beijing Film Academy]] as a [[distinguished professor]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=张艺谋出任北京电影学院特聘教授 |trans-title=Zhang Yimou Appointed as Distinguished Professor of Beijing Film Academy |url=https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_19783780}}</ref>

==Early life==
Zhang was born on 14 November 1950 in [[Xi'an]], the capital of [[Shaanxi]] province. Zhang's father, Zhang Bingjun ({{lang-zh|s=张秉钧|p=|labels=no}}), a dermatologist, had been an officer in the [[National Revolutionary Army]] under [[Chiang Kai-shek]] during the [[Chinese Civil War]]; an uncle and an elder brother had followed the Nationalist forces to [[Taiwan]] after their 1949 defeat. Zhang's mother, Zhang Xiaoyou ({{lang-zh|s=张孝友|p=|labels=no}}), was a doctor at the 2nd Hospital affiliated [[Xi'an Jiao Tong University]] who graduated from [[Xi'an Medical University]]. He has two younger brothers, Zhang Weimou ({{lang-zh|s=张伟谋|p=|labels=no}}) and Zhang Qimou ({{lang-zh|s=张启谋|p=|labels=no}}).<ref name="strawberry">{{cite news|url=http://news.ifeng.com/history/1/renwu/200810/1005_2665_816102.shtml|trans-title=History of Zhang Yimou's Parents and Family |script-title=zh:张艺谋的父亲母亲及家族历史 |newspaper=iFeng |date=5 October 2008 |language=zh}}</ref> As a result of his family's ties to the Nationalist movement, Zhang faced difficulties in his early life.<ref>''Memoirs from the Beijing Film Academy: The Genesis of China's Fifth Generation.'' Ni Zhen, translated by Chris Berry. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2002, pp. 44.</ref><ref name=notablebiographies>{{Cite web|url=http://www.notablebiographies.com/supp/Supplement-Sp-Z/Zhang-Yimou.html|title=Zhang Yimou|access-date=29 July 2017}}</ref>

During the [[Cultural Revolution]] of the 1960s and 1970s, Zhang left his school studies and went to work, first as a farm labourer for 3 years, and later at a cotton textile mill for 7 years in the city of [[Xianyang]].<ref name=notablebiographies/><ref>''Memoirs from the Beijing Film Academy: The Genesis of China's Fifth Generation.'' Ni Zhen, translated by Chris Berry. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2002, pp. 45-6.</ref> During this time he took up painting and amateur still photography, selling his own blood to buy his first camera.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rolexmentorprotege.com/pairing/2010-2011/zhang_yimou_and_annemarie_jacir | title=China's Zhang Yimou Mentors Palestine's Annemarie Jacir 2010-2011 | work=Rolex Mentor and Protégé Journal |access-date=29 July 2017}}</ref> In 1978, he went to Beijing Film Academy and majored in cinematography. He has an Honorary Doctorate Degree from [[Boston University]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bu.edu/today/2008/architect-of-beijing%E2%80%99s-olympic-ceremonies-to-receive-honorary-degree/|title=Architect of Beijing's Olympic Ceremonies to Receive Honorary Degree {{!}} BU Today {{!}} Boston University|work=BU Today|access-date=25 October 2017}}</ref> and also one from [[Yale University]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.yale.edu/2010/05/24/citations-recipients-honorary-degrees-yale-university-2010|title=Citations for Recipients of Honorary Degrees at Yale University 2010|date=24 May 2010|work=YaleNews|access-date=25 October 2017|language=en}}</ref>

==Career==

=== Film ===

==== Beginnings ====
When [[Gaokao]] was reinstated and the [[Beijing Film Academy]] reopened its doors to new students in 1978, Zhang, at 28, was over the Cinematography Department’s admission age limit of 22 and lacked the required academic qualifications.<ref>{{cite book |author=Zhang Yimou |date=2008 |script-title=zh:《青年文摘》 |trans-title=Youth Literary Digest |language=zh |location=Beijing |publisher=China Youth Press|pages=122–125 |script-chapter=zh:《考上电影学院，改变了我一生》|chapter=Going to Film Academy, Changed My Life |isbn=978-7-5006-6468-0}}</ref> With the help of relatives in Beijing, Zhang appealed to the faculty members as well as prominent artists, such as Bai Xueshi, [[Huang Yongyu]], and Hua Junwu, then the Ministry of Culture's general secretary. Hua presented Zhang’s photography portfolio to [[Huang Zhen]], Minister of Culture, who, impressed by Zhang’s talent, instructed the academy to admit him as a two-year auditing student. After two years, Zhang managed to become an official student and completed the full four-year program.<ref>{{Cite web |title=张艺谋超龄报考北电碰壁 华君武推荐至文化部长——中新网 |url=https://www.chinanews.com.cn/cul/2010/12-03/2697850.shtml |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=www.chinanews.com.cn}}</ref> He graduated with the BFA class of 1982, which also included [[Chen Kaige]], [[Tian Zhuangzhuang]], and [[Zhang Junzhao]]. The class went on to form the core of the [[Cinema of China#Rise of the fifth generation|Fifth Generation]], who were a part of an artistic reemergence in China after the end of the Cultural Revolution.<ref name=Farquhar/><ref name=notablebiographies/><ref name=NYTimesCrow>{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/person/117624/Zhang-Yimou/biography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071228012804/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/117624/Zhang-Yimou/biography|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 December 2007|title=Zhang Yimou|author=Crow, Jonathan|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=2007|access-date=1 September 2010}}</ref>

Zhang and his co-graduates were assigned to various state-run studios, and Zhang was sent to work for the [[Guangxi]] Film Studio as a cinematographer. Though originally intended to work as director's assistants, the graduates soon discovered there was a dearth of directors so soon after the Cultural Revolution, and gained permission to start making their own films. This led to the production of Zhang Junzhao's ''[[One and Eight]]'', on which Zhang Yimou worked as director of photography, and Chen Kaige's ''[[Yellow Earth]]'', in 1984. These two films were successes at the Hong Kong Film Festival and helped to bring the new Chinese cinema to the attention of worldwide audiences, signaling a departure from the earlier propagandist films of the Cultural Revolution.<ref name=Farquhar/><ref name=NYTimesCrow/> ''Yellow Earth'' is today widely considered the inaugural film of the Fifth Generation directors.<ref name=NYTimesCrow/><ref>{{Cite web | url = http://chinesecinema.ucsd.edu/essay_ccwlc.html | title = A Centennial Review of Chinese Cinema | access-date = 21 August 2008 | date = 10 October 2003 | author = Zhang Yingjin | publisher = The University of California, San Diego | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080907160026/http://chinesecinema.ucsd.edu/essay_ccwlc.html | archive-date = 7 September 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| url = http://www.llc.ed.ac.uk/cinema-china/briefhistory.html| title = A Brief History of Chinese Film| access-date = 21 August 2008| publisher = The University of Edinburgh-Cinema China '07| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080606005732/http://www.llc.ed.ac.uk/cinema-china/briefhistory.html| archive-date = 6 June 2008}}</ref>

In 1985, after moving back to his home town of Xi'an, Zhang was engaged as cinematographer and lead actor for director [[Wu Tianming]]'s upcoming film ''[[Old Well (film)|Old Well]]'', which was subsequently released in 1987. The lead role won Zhang a Best Actor award at the [[Tokyo International Film Festival]].<ref name=NYTimesCrow/>

==== 1980s ====
1988 saw the release of Zhang's directorial debut, ''[[Red Sorghum (film)|Red Sorghum]]'', starring Chinese actress [[Gong Li]] in her first leading role. ''Red Sorghum'' was met with critical acclaim, bringing Zhang to the forefront of the world's art directors, and winning him a [[Golden Bear]] for Best Picture at the [[38th Berlin International Film Festival]] in 1988.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1988/03_preistr_ger_1988/03_Preistraeger_1988.html| title = Berlinale - Archive - Annual Archives - 1988 - Prize Winners | publisher = [[Berlin International Film Festival]] | access-date = 21 August 2008}}</ref>

''[[Codename Cougar]]'' (or ''The Puma Action''), a minor experiment in the political thriller genre, was released in 1989, featuring [[Gong Li]] and eminent Chinese actor [[Ge You]]. However, it garnered less-than-positive reviews at home and Zhang himself later dismissed the film as his worst.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wzrb.com.cn/node2/node142/userobject8ai220559.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=11 September 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928011158/http://www.wzrb.com.cn/node2/node142/userobject8ai220559.html |archive-date=28 September 2007 }}</ref> In the same year, Zhang began work on his next project, the period drama ''[[Ju Dou]]''. Starring Gong Li in the eponymous lead role, along with [[Li Baotian]] as the male lead, ''Ju Dou'' garnered as much critical acclaim as had ''Red Sorghum'' and became China's first film to be nominated for an [[Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2003/cteq/red_sorghum/ |title=Red Sorghum: A Search for Roots |access-date=28 August 2008 |author=Neo, David |date=September 2003 |magazine=[[Senses of Cinema]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080802224322/http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/cteq/03/28/red_sorghum.html |archive-date=2 August 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Ju Dou'' highlighted the way in which the "gaze" can have different meanings, from voyeurism to ethical appeal. In 1989, Zhang became a member of the jury at the [[16th Moscow International Film Festival]].<ref name="Moscow1989">{{cite web|url=http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1989 |title=16th Moscow International Film Festival (1989) |access-date=24 February 2013 |work=MIFF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316085017/http://moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1989 |archive-date=16 March 2013 }}</ref>

==== 1990s ====
After the success of ''Ju Dou'', Zhang began work on ''[[Raise the Red Lantern]]''. Based on [[Su Tong]]'s novel ''[[Wives and Concubines]]'', the film depicted the realities of life in a wealthy family compound during the 1920s. [[Gong Li]] was again featured in the lead role, her fourth collaboration with Zhang as director. ''Raise the Red Lantern'' received almost unanimous international acclaim. Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' noted its "voluptuous physical beauty" and sumptuous use of colours.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19920327/REVIEWS/203270303/1023 |title =Raise the Red Lantern :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews | author = Ebert, Roger | newspaper = [[Chicago Sun-Times]] | date = 12 March 1992| access-date =21 August 2008}}</ref> Gong Li's acting was also praised as starkly contrasting with the roles she played in Zhang's earlier films. ''Raise the Red Lantern'' was nominated in the [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]] category at the [[64th Academy Awards|1992 Academy Awards]], becoming the second Chinese film to earn this distinction (after Zhang's ''Ju Dou''). It eventually lost out to [[Gabriele Salvatores]]'s ''[[Mediterraneo (film)|Mediterraneo]]''.

Zhang's next directorial work, ''[[The Story of Qiu Ju]]'', in 1992, once again starring Gong Li in the lead role. The film, which tells the tale of a peasant woman seeking justice for her husband after he was beaten by a village official, was a hit at film festivals and won the [[Golden Lion]] award at the 1992 [[Venice Film Festival]].<ref>Kleid, Beth (14 September 1992). "MOVIES." ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', p. 2.</ref>
[[File:Zhang Yimou 03.png|thumb|Zhang Yimou director]]
Next, Zhang directed ''[[To Live (1994 film)|To Live]]'', an epic film based on the novel by [[Yu Hua]] of the same name. ''To Live'' highlighted the resilience of the ordinary Chinese people, personified by its two main characters, amidst three generations of upheavals throughout Chinese politics of the 20th century. It was banned in China, but released at the [[1994 Cannes Film Festival]] and won the [[Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival)|Grand Jury Prize]], as well as earning a Best Actor prize for [[Ge You]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/archives/1994/awardCompetition.html|title=Festival de Cannes: Awards 1994|work=Festival de Cannes | publisher = [[Cannes Film Festival]] | access-date = 21 August 2008}}</ref><ref>[http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19941223/REVIEWS/412230303/1023 To Live - by Roger Ebert]</ref> ''To Live'' was officially banned but still shown in theaters in [[China]].<ref>''Zhang Yimou''. Frances K. Gateward, Yimou Zhang, [[University Press of Mississippi]], 2001, pp. 63-4. "Though officially banned, the film is widely available on video, and some theatres somehow still manage to show it."</ref>

''[[Shanghai Triad]]'' followed in 1995, featuring Gong Li in her seventh film under Zhang's direction. The two had developed a romantic as well as a professional relationship, but this would end during production of ''Shanghai Triad''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19960216/REVIEWS/602160304/1023| title = Shanghai Triad| author = Ebert, Roger| newspaper= [[Chicago Sun Times]] | date = 16 February 1996|access-date=21 August 2008}}</ref> Zhang and Gong would not work together again until 2006's ''[[Curse of the Golden Flower]]''.

1997 saw the release of ''[[Keep Cool (film)|Keep Cool]]'', a [[black comedy]] film about life in modern China. ''Keep Cool'' marked only the second time Zhang had set a film in the modern era, after ''The Story of Qiu Ju''. As in ''The Story of Qiu Ju'', Zhang returned to the [[neorealism (art)|neorealist]] habit of employing non-professional actors and location shooting for ''[[Not One Less]]'' in 1999<ref>{{Cite journal| journal=Persimmons | year=2001 | volume=1 | issue=3 | title=Not One Less | url=http://www.chinesecinemas.org/notoneless.html | last=Kraicer | first=Shelly | access-date=9 September 2009 | pages=85}}</ref><ref name="philly">{{Cite news| title=In a Chinese village, the teacher is 13 | last=Rea | first=Steven | work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] | date=24 March 2000}}</ref><ref name="losingamuse">{{Cite news| work=[[The New York Times]] | title=Losing a Muse and Moving On | last=Feinstein | first=Howard | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/06/movies/losing-a-muse-and-moving-on.html?pagewanted=all | date=6 February 2000 | access-date=9 September 2009}}</ref> which won him his second [[Golden Lion]] prize in Venice.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/1999/film/news/chinese-best-at-venice-fest-1117755601/|title=Chinese best at Venice fest| author = Rooney, David| magazine = [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date =13 September 1999|access-date=21 August 2008}}</ref> Shot immediately after ''Not One Less'', Zhang's 1999 film ''[[The Road Home (1999 film)|The Road Home]]'' featured a new leading lady in the form of the young actress [[Zhang Ziyi]], in her film debut. The film is based on a simple throw-back narrative centering on a love story between the narrator's parents.

==== 2000&ndash;present ====
[[File:ZhangYimou-Hawaii.JPG|thumb|Zhang Yimou at the [[Hawaii International Film Festival]] in 2005]]
''[[Happy Times (2000 film)|Happy Times]]'', a relatively unknown film by Zhang, was based loosely on the short story ''[[Shifu: You'll Do Anything for a Laugh]]'', by [[Mo Yan]]. Starring popular Chinese actor [[Zhao Benshan]] and actress [[Dong Jie]], it was an official selection for the [[Berlin International Film Festival]] in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/26/movies/film-review-where-happiness-comes-in-small-dollops.html|title=FILM REVIEW: Where Happiness Comes in Small Dollops|first=A.O.|last=Scott|website=[[The New York Times]]|date=26 July 2002|access-date=15 April 2024|archive-date=11 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411000000/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/26/movies/film-review-where-happiness-comes-in-small-dollops.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Zhang's next major project was the ambitious [[wuxia]] drama ''[[Hero (2002 film)|Hero]]'', released in China in 2002. With an impressive lineup of Asian stars, including [[Jet Li]], [[Maggie Cheung]], [[Tony Leung Chiu-Wai]], [[Zhang Ziyi]], and [[Donnie Yen]], ''Hero'' told a fictional tale about Ying Zheng, the King of the [[State of Qin]] (later to become the first [[Qin Shi Huang|Emperor of China]]), and his would-be assassins. The film was released in North America in 2004, two years after its Chinese release, by American distributor [[Miramax Films]], and became a huge international hit. ''Hero'' was one of the few foreign-language films to debut at number 1 at the U.S. box office,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9401E4DA1F3EF933A0575BC0A9629C8B63|title= Kung Fu Power for 'Hero' at Box Office|newspaper = [[The New York Times]] |date= 30 August 2004| access-date=21 August 2008}}</ref> and was one of the nominees for Best Foreign Language Film at the [[75th Academy Awards|2003 Academy Awards]].

Zhang followed up the huge success of ''Hero'' with another martial arts epic, ''[[House of Flying Daggers]]'', in 2004.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,501040419-610119,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814221731/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,501040419-610119,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 14, 2007|title=Zhang Yimou Interview| magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] |author = Gough, Neil| date =12 April 2004|access-date=21 August 2008}}</ref> Set in the [[Tang dynasty]], it starred [[Zhang Ziyi]], [[Andy Lau]], and [[Takeshi Kaneshiro]] as characters caught in a dangerous love triangle. ''House of Flying Daggers'' received acclaim from critics, who noted the use of colour that harked back to some of Zhang's earlier works.<ref name="meta">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/houseofflyingdaggers|title=House of Flying Daggers|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=14 January 2009}}</ref>

Released in [[China]] in 2005, ''[[Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles]]'' was a return to the more low-key drama that characterized much of Zhang's middle period pieces. The film stars [[Japanese people|Japanese]] actor [[Ken Takakura]], as a father who wishes to repair relations with his alienated son, and is eventually led by circumstance to set out on a journey to [[China]]. Zhang had been an admirer of Takakura for over thirty years.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-12/18/content_504306.htm|title= Zhang Yimou's new film makes domestic debut| newspaper = [[China Daily]] |date=18 December 2005| access-date=21 August 2008}}</ref>

2006's ''[[Curse of the Golden Flower]]'' saw him reunited with leading actress [[Gong Li]]. Taiwanese singer [[Jay Chou]] and Hong Kong star [[Chow Yun-fat]] also starred in the period epic based on a play by [[Cao Yu (playwright)|Cao Yu]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/2006/12/21/movies/21flow.html|title=Curse of the Golden Flower - Movie - Review| author = Catsoulis, Jeannette |newspaper =[[The New York Times]] |date=21 December 2006 |access-date=21 August 2008}}</ref>

Zhang's recent films, and his involvement with the 2008 Olympic ceremonies, have not been without controversy. Some critics claim that his recent works, contrary to his earlier films, have received approval from the Chinese government. However, in interviews, Zhang has said that he is not interested in politics, and that it was an honour for him to direct the Olympic ceremonies because it was "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity".<ref name=nytimescrit>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/sports/olympics/08guru.html| title= Gritty Renegade Now Directs China's Close-Up|author=Barboza, David| newspaper = The New York Times|date=7 August 2008|access-date=1 January 2009}}</ref> In 2008, he won a [[Peabody Award]] "for creating a spell-binding, unforgettable celebration of the Olympic promise, featuring a cast of thousands" at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.<ref>[http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/beijing-olympics-opening-ceremony-and-zhang-yimou 68th Annual Peabody Awards], May 2009.</ref> On 24 May 2010, Zhang was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree by [[Yale University]], and was described as "a genius with camera and choreography".<ref>[http://opa.yale.edu/news/article.aspx?id=7589 Citations for Recipients of Honorary Degrees at Yale University 2010] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100609063247/http://opa.yale.edu/news/article.aspx?id=7589 |date=9 June 2010 }}</ref>

Zhang's 2011 ''[[The Flowers of War]]'' was his most expensive film to date, budgeting for $90.2 million,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://asiapacificarts.usc.edu/article@apa?big_expectations_for_zhang_yimous_the_13_women_of_nanjing_16652.aspx | title = Big expectations for Zhang Yimou's The 13 Women of Nanjing | publisher = Asia Pacific Arts | date = 18 April 2011}}</ref> until his 2016 [[The Great Wall (film)|''The Great Wall'']] surpassed it with a budget of $150 million.<ref name="budget">{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/great-wall-why-stakes-are-sky-high-matt-damons-150m-chinese-epic-956396 |title='The Great Wall': Why the Stakes Are Sky-High for Matt Damon's $150M Chinese Epic |author=Patrick Brzeski |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=15 December 2016|access-date=29 December 2016}}</ref> After the mixed reception and financial disappointment of ''The Great Wall'', Zhang returned in 2018 with the critically acclaimed ''[[Shadow (2018 film)|Shadow]]'',<ref>{{Citation|title=Shadow (2019)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shadow_2018|language=en|access-date=14 March 2019}}</ref> which received 12 nominations at the 55th Golden Horse Awards and won four, including Best Director.<ref>{{Cite web |title=台北金馬影展 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival |url=https://www.goldenhorse.org.tw/awards/nw/?serach_type=award&sc=10&search_regist_year=2018&ins=50 |access-date=2024-08-18 |website=www.goldenhorse.org.tw |language=zh-TW}}</ref>

=== Stage direction ===
Starting in the 1990s, Zhang Yimou has been directing stage productions in parallel with his film career. In 1998, he directed an acclaimed version of [[Giacomo Puccini|Puccini]]'s opera ''[[Turandot]]'', firstly in [[Florence]] and then later [[Turandot at the Forbidden City]], [[Beijing]], with [[Zubin Mehta]] conducting, the latter documented in the film ''The Turandot Project (2000)''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E3DF143FF932A3575AC0A96E958260|title= Turandot - Directed by ZHANG Yimou, at the Forbidden City Beijing|author =Eckholm, Erik | newspaper = [[The New York Times]] | date= 1 September 1998| access-date=21 August 2008}}</ref> He reprised his version of ''Turandot'' in October 2009, at the [[Beijing National Stadium|Bird's Nest Stadium]] in [[Beijing]], and plans to tour with the production in Europe, Asia and Australia in 2010. In 2001, Zhang adapted his 1991 film ''Raise the Red Lantern'' for the stage, directing a [[ballet]] version.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://russian.china.org.cn/english/MATERIAL/70826.htm|title=Director Zhang Yimou Fine Tunes 'Red Lantern' Ballet|website=russian.china.org.cn}}</ref>

Zhang has co-directed a number of outdoor folk musicals under the title ''Impression''. These include ''Impression, Liu Sanjie'', which opened in August 2003 at the Li River, Guangxi province;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-08/17/content_255620.htm|title="Liu Sanjie" performed in natural scenic setting| newspaper = [[China Daily]] | date = 17 August 2003| access-date=21 August 2008}}</ref> ''Impression Lijiang'', in June 2006 at the foot of [[Jade Dragon Snow Mountain]] in [[Lijiang, Yunnan|Lijiang]], Yunnan province; ''Impression West Lake'', in late 2007 at the West Lake in [[Hangzhou]], Zhejiang province; ''Impression Hainan'' in late 2009, set in [[Hainan Island]]; and ''Impression Dahongpao'' set on Mount Wuyi, in Fujian province. All five performances were co-directed by Wang Chaoge and Fan Yue.

Zhang also led the production of [[Tan Dun]]'s opera, ''[[The First Emperor]]'', which had its world premiere at the [[Metropolitan Opera]] on 21 December 2006.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/arts/music/01lips.htm|title=The Great Wall Rises (and Falls) at the Met |author1=Morris, Lois B.  |author2=Lipsyte, Robert  |name-list-style=amp |newspaper = The New York Times |date=1 October 2006|access-date=21 August 2008}}</ref>
In 2017 he directed an innovative ballet titled "2047 Apologue", where the 12 minute solo finale ''The Weaving Machine'' was choreographed by Rose Alice Larkings and including hundreds of LED lamps. Onstage as Rose Alice danced the 12 minute solo was an elderly Chinese weaver at her loom, highlighting the old crafts and industries which remain so important in a world of new technology.

=== 2008 and 2022 Beijing Olympics opening and closing ceremonies ===
Zhang was chosen to direct the Beijing portion of the closing ceremonies of two Olympics: the [[2004 Summer Olympics closing ceremony|2004 Summer Olympics]] in [[Athens]], [[Greece]], and [[2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony|2018 Winter Olympics]] in [[Pyeongchang]], [[South Korea]]. He directed the [[2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony|opening]] and [[2008 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony|closing]] ceremonies of the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] in [[Beijing]], China, alongside co-director and choreographer [[Zhang Jigang]].<ref name=FiveGenerals>{{Cite web|url=http://en.beijing2008.cn/culture/ceremonies/n214143744.shtml |title=Zhang Yimou and his five creative generals |publisher=Official Website of the Beijing [[2008 Summer Olympic Games|2008 Olympic Games]] |access-date=21 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428200852/http://en.beijing2008.cn/culture/ceremonies/n214143744.shtml |archive-date=28 April 2009 }}</ref> He also directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the [[2022 Winter Olympics]] and [[2022 Winter Paralympics]].<ref name="full_rehearsal_held_for_opening_ceremony_of_beijing_2022_winter_olympics_2022">{{Cite news|last=Burke|first=Patrick|date=23 January 2022|title=Full rehearsal held for Opening Ceremony of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics|work=[[Inside the Games|InsideTheGames.biz]]|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1118166/beijing-2022-opening-ceremony-rehearsal|access-date=23 January 2022}}</ref>

Zhang was a runner-up for the [[Time Magazine Person of the Year]] award in 2008. [[Steven Spielberg]], who withdrew as an adviser to the Olympic ceremonies to pressure China into helping with the conflict in Darfur, described Zhang's works in the Olympic ceremonies in ''Time magazine'', saying "At the heart of Zhang's Olympic ceremonies was the idea that the conflict of man foretells the desire for inner peace. This theme is one he's explored and perfected in his films, whether they are about the lives of humble peasants or exalted royalty. This year he captured this prevalent theme of harmony and peace, which is the spirit of the Olympic Games. In one evening of visual and emotional splendor, he educated, enlightened, and entertained us all."<ref name="time">{{Cite magazine| url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/2008/personoftheyear/article/0,31682,1861543_1865103_1865107,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219174746/http://www.time.com/time/specials/2008/personoftheyear/article/0,31682,1861543_1865103_1865107,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=December 19, 2008 | magazine=Time | title=Person Of The Year 2008 | date=17 December 2008}}</ref>

== Style ==
In terms of style and personality, he leans towards a director's thinking of sensation and intuition. This kind of director's thinking focuses on visual perception, emphasizing elements such as composition, color, and lighting, and using a vivid and intuitive visual style to reflect or express the subject's emotions.<ref name="张艺谋电影中色彩运用的美学探究">{{Cite journal |last=张 |first=文 |date=2020-12-22 |title=张艺谋电影中色彩运用的美学探究. |journal=文化艺术创新 |volume=3 |issue=6 |pages=1 |doi=10.26549/whyscx.v3i6.2382 |issn=2661-4804 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Zhang Yimou is good at mastering simple colors, clear but not trivial or complicated. Using appropriate color combinations to express the ultimate beauty that one wants to give to the audience in their subjective thoughts.<ref name="张艺谋电影中色彩运用的美学探究"/> Taking red as an example, in "Red Sorghum", red represents fresh blood, savage plateau, and initial desire.<ref>{{Cite web |title=张艺谋电影艺术风格探索-艺术理论论文-论文网 |url=https://www.lunwendata.com/thesis/2017/98214.html |access-date=2024-06-23 |website=www.lunwendata.com}}</ref>

The films created by Zhang Yimou can meet the needs of the times and social development in terms of artistic expression, incorporating some of his own thinking and exploration, with a focus on macro social themes and contemporary thinking.<ref>{{Cite web |title=豪华落尽见真淳——张艺谋电影美学风格之新变_电影评论_影视评论_艺评现场_中国文艺评论网 |url=https://www.zgwypl.com/content/details12_442445.html |access-date=2024-06-23 |website=www.zgwypl.com}}</ref>

Reception of Zhang Yimou's films has been mixed. While some critics praise his striking aesthetics and ability to break into the Western art market, some Chinese-based critics have attacked Zhang for pandering to Western audiences and portraying China as weak, exotic, and vulnerable.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Larson |first=Wendy |title=Zhang Yimou: Globalization and the Subject of Culture |publisher=Cambria Press |year=2017 |isbn=9781604979756 |location=USA |pages=1–11}}</ref>

==Personal life==

=== Relationship ===

==== Xiao Hua ====
Zhang Yimou's first wife is Xiao Hua. Xiao was born in Xi’an in 1951 to an intellectual family whose ancestral home was in Beijing. At the age of four, Xiao was sent to live with her grandmother in Beijing, where she grew up. In 1965, she returned to Xi’an to attend the middle school and became a classmate of Zhang. After graduation, Zhang invited Xiao to join him in the [[Down to the Countryside Movement]] to settle in rural Shaanxi. Xiao agreed and they were sent to [[Qian County]] for 3 years, when they began a relationship. In 1971, Zhang and Xiao returned to Xi'an. Zhang became a worker at a cotton mill in [[Xianyang]], while Xiao was assigned to a factory in [[Xingping|Xingping County]]. Starting in 1972, China allowed workers, farmers, and soldiers to apply for university. Xiao tried but failed the entrance exams for two consecutive years. In 1975, she was recommended for admission to [[Shanghai Jiao Tong University]]. Zhang, having been deprived of the opportunity for college education due to his “anti-revolutionary” family background, discouraged her from attending, saying, "You’ll grow close to your university classmates, find common ground with them, and eventually look down on me." As a result, Xiao declined the opportunity.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=张艺谋前妻肖华回忆离婚内情：巩俐要为张生孩子 _娱乐频道_凤凰网 |url=https://ent.ifeng.com/idolnews/special/zhangyimoumihun/content-3/detail_2013_05/08/25075800_0.shtml |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=ent.ifeng.com}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=张艺谋说前妻：少了个伴侣，多了个亲人-搜狐新闻 |url=https://news.sohu.com/20070211/n248170582.shtml |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=news.sohu.com}}</ref>

In 1978, the [[Gaokao|national college entrance exam]] was reinstated in China and Zhang applied to the [[Beijing Film Academy]]. The age limit for the Cinematography Department was 22, and 28-year-old Zhang was initially rejected. Through Xiao's brother-in-law, eventually, Zhang managed to get his photography portfolio to [[Huang Zhen]], then China's Minister of Culture. Huang appreciated Zhang’s work and approved his admission. Before heading to Beijing for his studies, he and Xiao had a modest wedding. After graduating in 1982, Zhang was assigned to Guangxi Film Studio as a cinematographer, rarely returning home. On March 31, 1983, their daughter Zhang Mo was born while Zhang was filming ''[[One and Eight]]'' in Guangxi. In October 1987, while doing Zhang’s laundry, Xiao found a love letter from [[Gong Li]] in his pocket. A few days later, Xiao received a call from Gong's then boyfriend, surnamed Yang, who told her: “I’ve met with Zhang Yimou. He said that my relationship with my wife was a misunderstanding that arose from our time in the countryside.” In 1988, Zhang and Xiao divorced.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

==== Gong Li ====
Zhang's personal and professional relationship with his muse [[Gong Li]] has been highly publicized. Their relationship started in 1986 on the set of ''[[Red Sorghum (film)|Red Sorghum]],'' when Zhang was married to Xiao while Gong was in a relationship with Yang. Yang violently assaulted Gong after finding out her relationship with Zhang.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CCTV.com-张艺谋前妻：巩俐献身张导曾遭前男友暴打 |url=https://news.cctv.com/performance/20070716/100996.shtml |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=news.cctv.com}}</ref> In 1988, Zhang divorced Xiao for Gong. In 1995, soon after shooting ''[[Shanghai Triad]]'', their 7th collaboration during their relationship, Zhang announced their break-up amidst rumors of Gong's affair with then managing director of [[British American Tobacco]] in China, Ooi Hoe Seong (whom she married a year later).<ref>{{cite web |date=19 August 2009 |title=Zhang Yimou's daughter accuses Gong Li of ruining her childhood |url=https://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20090819-162050.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150411225932/http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20090819-162050.html |archive-date=11 April 2015 |access-date=3 April 2015 |website=AsiaOne |publisher=Singapore Press Holdings}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Feinstein |first=Howard |date=16 June 2000 |title=Life after Gong Li |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/jun/16/culture.features1 |access-date=3 April 2015 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> According to Gong's mother, however, they split due to Zhang's reluctance to marry Gong after their 9-year relationship.<ref>{{Cite web |title=揭开张艺谋巩俐11年感情始末 |url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/hqylss/2006-03/21/content_548200.htm |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=www.chinadaily.com.cn}}</ref> According to Zhou Xiaofeng, Zhang Yimou’s script consultant, producer Zhang Weiping deliberately sabotaged the relationship between the director and actress by spreading lies and rumors, including claims of her affair with Ooi. This alleged strategy aimed to exploit Zhang Yimou while sidelining his more tactful and decisive partner, ultimately leading to a feud between Gong and the producer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=《宿命：孤独张艺谋》 |url=https://news.ifeng.com/a/20150325/43409655_0.shtml |access-date=2025-01-18 |website=news.ifeng.com}}</ref> After their break-up, Zhang invited Gong to star in his films ''[[Hero (2002 film)|Hero]]'' and ''[[House of Flying Daggers]],'' but she declined both.<ref>{{cite web |last=Barber |first=Lynden |date=25 February 2015 |title=Favourite star Gong Li shines for Zhang Yimou |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/film/favourite-star-gong-li-shines-for-zhang-yimou/story-e6frg8pf-1227237585118 |access-date=3 April 2015 |website=The Australian}}</ref> They reunited in 2006 for the film ''[[Curse of the Golden Flower]],'' during which Gong stipulated in her contract that she would not meet the producer Zhang Weiping.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Frater |first=Patrick |date=2015-03-11 |title=Biography of Zhang Yimou Reveals Scandalous Underbelly of Chinese Film |url=https://variety.com/2015/film/asia/biography-of-zhang-yimou-reveals-scandalous-underbelly-of-chinese-film-1201450519/ |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

==== Chen Ting ====
In 1999, 19-year-old Chen Ting met Zhang when she auditioned for his film ''[[Happy Times (2000 film)|Happy Times]]''. The two began a secret relationship, and their first son, Zhang Yinan, was born in 2001, followed by their second son, Zhang Yiding, in 2004, and their daughter, Zhang Yijiao, in 2006. The couple did not marry until December 2011 in [[Wuxi]], [[Jiangsu]], where Chen lives, in order to secure [[hukou]] for their children.<ref>{{Cite web |title=张艺谋妻陈婷：担心被曝光才不领结婚证 |url=https://ent.ifeng.com/idolnews/special/zhangyimoumihun/content-3/detail_2013_12/30/32591999_0.shtml?_from_ralated |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=ent.ifeng.com}}</ref>

On March 11, 2012, actress He Jun revealed Zhang’s remarriage and his three children on Weibo.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-01-09 |title=张艺谋超生被重罚又成网络热门话题 |url=https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/china/2014/01/140109_zhangyimou_birth_fine |access-date=2024-06-23 |website=BBC News 中文 |language=zh-hans}}</ref> He Jun had been a backup candidate for ''[[The Flowers of War]]'' cast, but was dismissed after revealing her participation in the production on Weibo in December 2010. It was suggested that He is a niece of the assistant to Zhang Weiping, Zhang Yimou’s former business partner until their split in 2012, and that Weiping allegedly orchestrated He’s revelation—a claim He denied. Further online allegations claimed that Zhang had fathered seven children with four different women. Zhang was subsequently investigated by the authorities for violating China's [[one-child policy]].<ref name="SFGate">{{Cite news |date=<!-- 10:52 pm --> 8 May 2013 |title=Chinese director investigated for having 7 kids Updated |url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Chinese-director-investigated-for-having-7-kids-4500938.php}}</ref> On 29 November 2013, under the public pressure, Zhang admitted in a statement that he and his wife, Chen Ting, have two sons and a daughter, and that they would cooperate with Wuxi's family planning authorities for an investigation and accept any legal consequences. The statement also suggested that certain individuals had used illegal means to expose Zhang's privacy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=揭秘张艺谋娇妻陈婷：相貌不似"谋女郎"贵妇气质 - 海外华人 - 新华网<!-- Bot generated title --> |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/overseas/2013-05/09/c_124683925.htm |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130901181437/http://news.xinhuanet.com/overseas/2013-05/09/c_124683925.htm |archivedate=September 1, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Naomi Ng |date=January 10, 2014 |title=China: Filmmaker Zhang Yimou fined $1.2M for breach of one-child policy |url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/01/09/world/asia/filmmaker-one-child-policy-fine/index.html |website=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=8 February 2014 |title=Director Zhang Yimou Pays $1.2M for Having 3 Kids |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/director-zhang-yimou-pays-12m-kids-22405066 |access-date=8 February 2014 |newspaper=go.com}}</ref> On January 9, 2014, the Wuxi Family Planning Bureau fined the couple 7,487,854 RMB (roughly US$1.2 million) for violating China's [[one-child policy]]. On May 31, 2021, as China promulgated a [[three-child policy]], Chen posted a poster titled “The Three-Child Policy Is Here” on Weibo, with the caption “Mission accomplished ahead of time.” Zhang Yimou’s studio reposted her Weibo.<ref>{{Cite web |last=朱加樟 |date=2021-05-31 |title=三孩政策｜因非婚生育三個子女罰700萬 張藝謀妻：提前完成任務 |url=https://www.hk01.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%9C%8B%E5%B0%8F%E4%BA%8B/632029/%E4%B8%89%E5%AD%A9%E6%94%BF%E7%AD%96-%E5%9B%A0%E9%9D%9E%E5%A9%9A%E7%94%9F%E8%82%B2%E4%B8%89%E5%80%8B%E5%AD%90%E5%A5%B3%E7%BD%B0700%E8%90%AC-%E5%BC%B5%E8%97%9D%E8%AC%80%E5%A6%BB-%E6%8F%90%E5%89%8D%E5%AE%8C%E6%88%90%E4%BB%BB%E5%8B%99 |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=香港01 |language=zh-HK}}</ref>

=== Feud ===

==== Zhang Weiping ====
Zhang Weiping (no relation) first met Zhang Yimou in 1989 while working in pharmaceutical procurement at a hospital in Beijing. At the time, Zhang Weiping’s elder brother worked in customs, and Zhang Weiping himself later worked for the German company [[Siemens]] as a customs broker. This position facilitated the development of a close friendship with Zhang Yimou, as the latter’s film reels frequently required customs clearance for overseas processing. In the 1990s, Zhang Weiping transitioned into business. In 1996, when Zhang Yimou’s film ''[[Keep Cool (film)|Keep Cool]]'' faced a funding crisis following [[Gong Li]]’s withdrawal due to her breakup with the director, which led other investors to pull out, Zhang Weiping stepped in with an investment of 26 million yuan. ''Keep Cool'' went on to gross 46 million yuan, becoming China’s highest-grossing domestic film of the year. Despite incurring a personal loss of nearly 10 million yuan due to weak overseas copyright sales, Zhang Weiping’s confidence in the potential of the Chinese film industry was bolstered by the film’s domestic box office success. From that point onward, Zhang Weiping became Zhang Yimou’s investor, producer, and business partner for 16 years. In 1997, they co-founded New Pictures and collaborated on 11 films. However, Zhang Yimou left the company in 2012 after an acrimonious split, stemming from years of business and creative disputes and precipitated by the critical and commercial underperformance of ''[[The Flowers of War]].''<ref>{{Cite web |title="二张"时代的终结-新民周刊 |url=https://m.xinminweekly.com.cn/content/1315.html |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=m.xinminweekly.com.cn}}</ref>

After the split, according to ''Fate: Zhang Yimou the Lonely'', a 2015 biography written by Zhou Xiaofeng, Zhang Yimou’s script consultant since 2006, Zhang Weiping orchestrated the revelation of Zhang Yimou’s secret remarriage and children, which violated China’s one-child policy.<ref name=":2" /> Since 2015, Zhang Yimou filed three lawsuits against Zhang Weiping and his New Pictures company to recover unpaid earnings. In 2015, Zhang Yimou sought 15 million yuan in box office revenue share from ''[[A Simple Noodle Story|A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop]]''. Meanwhile, his wife, Chen Ting, disclosed on Weibo that during the two men’s 16-year collaboration, Zhang Yimou had only been paid 12 million yuan in total. She also accused Zhang Weiping of falsely claiming to the family planning authorities that Zhang Yimou earned an annual salary of millions of yuan, allegedly to increase fines imposed for violating the one-child policy. In 2019, the court awarded Zhang Yimou only 2.46 million yuan from his original claim of 15 million yuan. Zhang Weiping refused to comply, resulting in his placement on the list of [[judgment defaulter]]s. The same year, New Pictures was shut down. In 2020, Zhang Yimou filed the second lawsuit against Zhang Weiping, seeking 2.59 million yuan in unpaid labor fees. Zhang Yimou won the case and the court dismissed Zhang Weiping's appeal. In 2021, Zhang Yimou filed the third lawsuit against Zhang Weiping, citing “shareholder liability for harming the interests of company creditors.”<ref>{{Cite web |title=6年3次起诉！张艺谋与张伟平，就这样写下了艺术家与商人的结局_观海新闻 |url=https://www.guanhai.com.cn/p/92312.html |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=www.guanhai.com.cn}}</ref>

==Filmography==

===Director===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! English title
! Chinese title
! Notes
|-
| 1988
| ''[[Red Sorghum (film)|Red Sorghum]]''
| 红高粱
|
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Codename Cougar]]''
| 代号美洲豹
| rowspan="2" | Co-director with [[Yang Fengliang]]
|-
| 1990
| ''[[Ju Dou]]''
| 菊豆
|-
| 1991
| ''[[Raise the Red Lantern]]''
| 大红灯笼高高挂
|
|-
| 1992
| ''{{sortname|The|Story of Qiu Ju}}''
| 秋菊打官司
|
|-
| 1994
| ''[[To Live (1994 film)|To Live]]''
| 活着
|
|-
| 1995
| ''[[Shanghai Triad]]''
| 摇啊摇，摇到外婆桥
|
|-
| 1995
| ''Zhang Yimou''
| {{n/a}}
| Segment of ''[[Lumière and Company]]''
|-
| 1997
| ''[[Keep Cool (film)|Keep Cool]]''
| 有话好好说
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1999
| ''[[Not One Less]]''
| 一个都不能少
|
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|Road Home|dab=1999 film}}''
| 我的父亲母亲
|
|-
| 2000
| ''[[Happy Times (2000 film)|Happy Times]]''
| 幸福时光
|
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Hero (2002 film)|Hero]]''
| 英雄
|
|-
| 2004
| ''[[House of Flying Daggers]]''
| 十面埋伏
|
|-
| 2005
| ''[[Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles]]''
| 千里走单骑
|
|-
| 2006
| ''[[Curse of the Golden Flower]]''
| 满城尽带黄金甲
|
|-
| 2007
| ''Movie Night''
| {{n/a}}
| Segment of ''[[To Each His Cinema]]''
|-
| 2009
| ''[[A Simple Noodle Story|A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop]]''
| 三枪拍案惊奇
|
|-
| 2010
| ''[[Under the Hawthorn Tree (film)|Under the Hawthorn Tree]]''
| 山楂树之恋
|
|-
| 2011
| ''[[The Flowers of War]]''
| 金陵十三钗
|
|-
| 2014
| ''[[Coming Home (2014 film)|Coming Home]]''
| 归来
| 
|-
| 2016
| ''[[The Great Wall (film)|The Great Wall]]''
| 长城
| <ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/zhang-yimou-confirms-great-wall-plans|title= Zhang Yimou confirms Great Wall plans|author= Kevin Ma|date= 12 June 2014|access-date= 15 June 2014|work= [[Film Business Asia]]|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140615061215/http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/zhang-yimou-confirms-great-wall-plans|archive-date= 15 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://deadline.com/2014/12/kong-skull-island-2017-zhang-yimou-great-wall-1201322632/|title= King Kong Pic 'Skull Island' Moves To 2017 With New Title; Zhang Yimou's 'Great Wall' Epic Dated For 2016|author= Jen Yamato|date= 12 December 2014|access-date= 13 December 2014|work= [[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref>
|-
| 2018
| ''[[Shadow (2018 film)|Shadow]]''
| 影
| <ref name="variety.com">{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/asia/zhang-yimou-starts-shadow-1202011509/|title='Great Wall' Director Zhang Yimou Starts 'Shadow'|date=18 May 2017}}</ref>
|-
| 2020
| ''[[One Second (film)|One Second]]''
| 一秒钟
|
|-
| rowspan=1|2021
| ''[[Cliff Walkers]]''
| 悬崖之上
|
|- 
| 2022
| ''[[Sniper (2022 film)|Sniper]]''
| 狙击手
| Co-director with [[Zhang Mo (director)|Zhang Mo]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2023
| ''[[Full River Red]]''
| 满江红
|
|-
| ''[[Under the Light]]''
| 坚如磐石
|
|- 
| 2024
| ''[[Article 20]]''
| 第二十条
| 
|}

===Cinematographer===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! English title
! Chinese title
|-
| 1982
| ''[[Red Elephant (1982 film)|Red Elephant]]''
| 红象
|-
| 1983
| ''[[One and Eight]]''
| 一个和八个
|-
| 1984
| ''[[Yellow Earth]]''
| 黄土地
|-
|rowspan=2| 1986
| ''[[Old Well (film)|Old Well]]''
| 老井
|-
| ''[[The Big Parade (1986 film)|The Big Parade]]''
| 大阅兵
|}

===Actor===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! English title
! Chinese title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1986
| ''[[Old Well (film)|Old Well]]''
| 老井
| Sun Wangquan
|Won  ''[[Golden Rooster Award for Best Actor]]''
|-
| 1987
| ''[[Red Sorghum (film)|Red Sorghum]]''
| 红高粱
|
|
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Fight and Love with a Terracotta Warrior]]''
| 古今大战秦俑情
| Tian Fong
|
|-
| 1997
| ''[[Keep Cool (film)|Keep Cool]]''
| 有话好好说
| Junk Peddler
|
|-
| 2001 || ''[[The Grand Mansion Gate]]'' || {{lang|zh-Hans|大宅门}} || [[Li Lianying]]  ||
|-
| 2021
| ''[[My Country, My Parents]]''
| {{lang|zh-hans|我和我的父辈}}
| Television president
| Cameo in ''AD MAN'' (Segment 3)
|}

==Awards and nominations==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Awards/Nominations
|-
| 1988
| ''[[Red Sorghum (film)|Red Sorghum]]''
| [[Golden Bear]]
|-
| 1990
| ''[[Ju Dou]]''
|[[Valladolid International Film Festival#Golden Spike|Golden Spike]] <br> [[Chicago International Film Festival#Gold Hugo|Gold Hugo]] <br>Nominated- [[List of Chinese submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Chinese submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]
|-
| 1991
| ''[[Raise the Red Lantern]]''
| [[Silver Lion]]<br />[[BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language|BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]<br />[[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]<br />[[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]<br />[[David di Donatello for Best Foreign Film]]<br />Nominated- [[List of Hong Kong submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Hong Kong submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]
|-
| 1992
| ''{{sortname|The|Story of Qiu Ju}}''
| [[Golden Lion]]<br/>[[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]
|-
| 1994
| ''[[To Live (1994 film)|To Live]]''
| [[Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival)|Grand Prix du Jury]]<br />[[Prize of the Ecumenical Jury]]<br />[[BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language|BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]<br/>Nominated- [[Palme d'Or]]<br />Nominated- [[Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film]] 
|-
| 1995
| ''[[Shanghai Triad]]''
| [[National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]<br/>Nominated- [[Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1999
| ''[[Not One Less]]''
| [[Golden Lion]]
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|Road Home|dab=1999 film}}''
| [[Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize|Silver Bear Jury Grand Prix]]<br/ >[[Prize of the Ecumenical Jury]]
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Hero (2002 film)|Hero]]''
|[[Alfred Bauer Prize]]<br>Nominated- [[List of Chinese submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Chinese submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]
|-
| 2004
| ''[[House of Flying Daggers]]''
| [[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director]]<br>Nominated- [[BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language]]<br />Nominated- [[Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]
|-
| 2011
| ''[[The Flowers of War]]''
| Nominated- [[Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]
|-
| 2018
| ''[[Shadow (2018 film)|Shadow]]''<ref name="variety.com"/>
|[[55th Golden Horse Awards|Golden Horse (Best Director)]]
|-
| 2020
| ''[[One Second (film)|One Second]]''
| [[15th Asian Film Awards|Asian Film Award]] ([[Asian Film Award for Best Director|Best Director]])
|-
|}

==See also==
* [[Mou girls]]
* [[Cinema of China]]
* [[Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize]]
* [[Zhang Jigang]]
{{Clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Gateward, Frances (editor): ''Zhang Yimou: Interviews'' [[Conversations with Filmmakers Series]], University Press of Mississippi, 2001. {{ISBN|1-57806-262-4}}.
* Colamartino, Fabrizio & Marco Dalla Gassa : "Il cinema di Zhang Yimou" Le Mani, 2003, {{ISBN|978-88-8012-244-9}}. (Italian)
* {{cite journal|last=Sklar|first=Robert|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41687285|title=Becoming a Part of Life: An Interview with Zhang Yimou|journal=[[Cinéaste (magazine)|Cinéaste]]|volume=20|issue=1|year=1993|pages=28–29|jstor=41687285}}
* {{cite journal|last=Ye<!--Surname should be Ye, from *HTML title* of https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/dllc/documents/profile_cv/ye_tan_cv.pdf-->|first=Tan|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1213716|title=From the Fifth to the Sixth Generation: An Interview with Zhang Yimou|journal=[[Film Quarterly]]|volume=53|issue=2|date=Winter 1999–2000|pages=2–13|doi=10.2307/1213716|jstor=1213716}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{IMDb name|0955443|Zhang Yimou}}
*[http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2002/great-directors/zhang/ Zhang Yimou] at [[Senses of Cinema]]'s Great Directors Critical Database
*[http://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=5631&display_set=eng Zhang Yimou] at the Hong Kong Movie Database
*{{NYTtopic|people/z/zhang_yimou}}
;Interviews and articles
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051201024508/http://www.city.fukuoka.jp/fan200306/page14.html Text of interview with Zhang Yimou], 2002
*[http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2008/08/the-way-art-works-an-interview-with-zhang-yimou-1/ Zhang Yimou's Interview on the Southern Weekend] on 14 August 2008.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070501230700/http://www.tracksounds.com/specialfeatures/zhang_yimou/zhang_yimou.htm Music from the Films of Zhang Yimou]
*{{YouTube|0AljLZf-Glg|NYTimes.com - Behind the Scenes: Zhang Yimou}}
*[https://archive.today/20121209044216/http://www.telemak.com/showcases/gaultier2.php Zhang Yimou for Jean Paul Gaultier]

{{Zhang Yimou}}
{{Fifth Generation Cinema}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Zhang Yimou
|list =
{{Asian Film Award for Best Director}}
{{Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director}}
{{Golden Rooster Award Best Actor}}
{{Golden Rooster Award Best Director}}
{{Golden Horse Award for Best Director}}
{{Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film from Mainland and Taiwan}}
{{Hundred Flowers Award Best Actor}}
{{National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director}}
{{TokyoInternationalFilmFestivalBestActor}}
}}

{{Venice Film Festival jury presidents}}

{{Portal bar|China|Biography|Film}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhang, Yimou}}
[[Category:Zhang Yimou| ]]
[[Category:Filmmakers who won the Best Foreign Language Film BAFTA Award]]
[[Category:Beijing Film Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Chinese cinematographers]]
[[Category:Film directors from Shaanxi]]
[[Category:Artists from Xi'an]]
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Directors of Golden Bear winners]]
[[Category:Directors of Golden Lion winners]]
[[Category:Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]]
[[Category:Chinese film directors]]
[[Category:Members of the 9th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference]]
[[Category:Members of the 10th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference]]
[[Category:Members of the 11th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference]]
[[Category:Asia Game Changer Award winners]]
[[Category:Writers from Xi'an]]
[[Category:Male actors from Xi'an]]
[[Category:20th-century Chinese male actors]]
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