Zhang Yimou

Directing

Zhang Yimou

Born

1950-04-02 (76)

Place of birth

Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China

Known for

Directing

Credits

72 titles

Zhang Yimou (born November 14, 1950 or 1951)  is a Chinese film director, producer, writer and actor, and former cinematographer. He is counted amongst the Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers, having made his directorial debut in 1987 with Red Sorghum. Zhang has won numerous awards and recognitions, with Best Foreign Film nominations for Ju Dou in 1990 and Raise the Red Lantern in 1991, Silver Lion and Golden Lion prizes at the Venice Film Festival, Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. One of Zhang's recurrent themes is the resilience of Chinese people in the face of hardship and adversity, a theme which has been expl…

Known for

Golden Horse Awards poster
9.0

The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards (Chinese: 台北金馬影展; pinyin: Táiběi Jīnmǎ Yǐngzhǎn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-pak Kim-má iáⁿ-tián) is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. The awards ceremony is usually held in November or December in Taipei, although the event has also been held in other locations in Taiwan in recent times

Golden Horse Awards

1962

Hero poster
7.5

During China's Warring States period, a district prefect arrives at the palace of Qin Shi Huang, claiming to have killed the three assassins who had made an attempt on the king's life three years ago.

Hero

2002

The Great Wall poster
6.0

European mercenaries searching for black powder become embroiled in the defense of the Great Wall of China against a horde of monstrous creatures.

The Great Wall

2016

Thirteen Talks poster
8.8

No synopsis available yet.

Thirteen Talks

2016

The Grand Mansion Gate poster
8.9

This Chinese period drama series follows the fortunes of a prominent merchant family engaged in Traditional Chinese Medicine during the waning years of the Ching dynasty. The affairs of this family of doctors/pharmacists (which in those days were one and the same) are intimately linked with social upheavals of the time such as the encroachment of Christian missionaries and foreign imperialism as well as conflicts that inevitably emerge in a large upper class family. Comparable in scope and production value to such recent titles as "Downton Abbey", the lives and character of both masters and servants intertwine in plot lines that spans more than a generation.

The Grand Mansion Gate

2001

Celebrity Talk Show poster
9.5

No synopsis available yet.

Celebrity Talk Show

1989

Film credits

2010s · 4 titles

2000s · 5 titles

1990s · 4 titles

1980s · 5 titles

Series credits

Golden Horse Awards poster
9.0

The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards (Chinese: 台北金馬影展; pinyin: Táiběi Jīnmǎ Yǐngzhǎn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-pak Kim-má iáⁿ-tián) is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. The awards ceremony is usually held in November or December in Taipei, although the event has also been held in other locations in Taiwan in recent times

Golden Horse Awards

1962

Thirteen Talks poster
8.8

No synopsis available yet.

Thirteen Talks

2016

The Grand Mansion Gate poster
8.9

This Chinese period drama series follows the fortunes of a prominent merchant family engaged in Traditional Chinese Medicine during the waning years of the Ching dynasty. The affairs of this family of doctors/pharmacists (which in those days were one and the same) are intimately linked with social upheavals of the time such as the encroachment of Christian missionaries and foreign imperialism as well as conflicts that inevitably emerge in a large upper class family. Comparable in scope and production value to such recent titles as "Downton Abbey", the lives and character of both masters and servants intertwine in plot lines that spans more than a generation.

The Grand Mansion Gate

2001

Celebrity Talk Show poster
9.5

No synopsis available yet.

Celebrity Talk Show

1989

CMG Spring Festival Gala poster
5.7

The CMG Spring Festival Gala (formerly known as the CCTV New Year's Gala; commonly abbreviated in Chinese as Chunwan or 春晚) is a Chinese New Year special gala produced by China Media Group (CMG). The Gala is a live variety show featuring music, dance, and comedy performances alongside official messaging, held annually on Chinese New Year's Eve since it was first aired in February 1983. It was recognized by Guinness World Records as the most watched national network TV broadcast in 2012 and is widely recognized as the world's most watched television program.

CMG Spring Festival Gala

1983

The 40th Anniversary of Chinese Film Since China's Reform and Opening-Up poster
NR

Documentary about China's film industry and the monumental changes in the past 40 years from beginning with propaganda films to the "5th generation" filmmakers and beyond, who embraced art and commercial films to make China the second largest box office market in the world after Hollywood.

The 40th Anniversary of Chinese Film Since China's Reform and Opening-Up

2018

激荡·1978-2008 poster
1.0

No synopsis available yet.

激荡·1978-2008

2008

极:《悬崖之上》电影纪录片 poster
4.5

No synopsis available yet.

极:《悬崖之上》电影纪录片

2021

Making of "The Flowers of War" poster
8.5

No synopsis available yet.

Making of "The Flowers of War"

2011

Behind the Opening Ceremony: The Director's Cut poster
7.0

This riveting, behind-the-scenes look reveals the massive project to create the opening spectacle for Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics. Set in the iconic 'Bird's Nest,' the story is told in the words of key figures involved, including director Zhang Yimou.

Behind the Opening Ceremony: The Director's Cut

2022

Zhang Yimou's 2008 poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Zhang Yimou's 2008

2009

奥运档案 poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

奥运档案

2009

Behind the camera

Hero poster
7.5

During China's Warring States period, a district prefect arrives at the palace of Qin Shi Huang, claiming to have killed the three assassins who had made an attempt on the king's life three years ago.

Hero

2002

Hero poster
7.5

During China's Warring States period, a district prefect arrives at the palace of Qin Shi Huang, claiming to have killed the three assassins who had made an attempt on the king's life three years ago.

Hero

2002

Hero poster
7.5

During China's Warring States period, a district prefect arrives at the palace of Qin Shi Huang, claiming to have killed the three assassins who had made an attempt on the king's life three years ago.

Hero

2002

The Great Wall poster
6.0

European mercenaries searching for black powder become embroiled in the defense of the Great Wall of China against a horde of monstrous creatures.

The Great Wall

2016

House of Flying Daggers poster
7.3

In 9th century China, a corrupt government wages war against a rebel army called the Flying Daggers. A romantic warrior breaks a beautiful rebel out of prison to help her rejoin her fellows, but things are not what they seem.

House of Flying Daggers

2004

House of Flying Daggers poster
7.3

In 9th century China, a corrupt government wages war against a rebel army called the Flying Daggers. A romantic warrior breaks a beautiful rebel out of prison to help her rejoin her fellows, but things are not what they seem.

House of Flying Daggers

2004

House of Flying Daggers poster
7.3

In 9th century China, a corrupt government wages war against a rebel army called the Flying Daggers. A romantic warrior breaks a beautiful rebel out of prison to help her rejoin her fellows, but things are not what they seem.

House of Flying Daggers

2004

To Live poster
8.1

Married couple Fugui and Jiazhen endure tumultuous events in mid-20th century mainland China as their personal fortunes move from wealthy landownership to peasantry.

To Live

1994

Raise the Red Lantern poster
7.9

In 1920s China, 19-year-old Songlian becomes a concubine of a powerful lord and is forced to compete with his three wives for the privileges gained.

Raise the Red Lantern

1991

Curse of the Golden Flower poster
6.9

During China's Tang dynasty the emperor has taken the princess of a neighboring province as his wife. She has borne him two sons and raised his eldest. Now his control over his dominion is complete, including the royal family itself.

Curse of the Golden Flower

2006

Curse of the Golden Flower poster
6.9

During China's Tang dynasty the emperor has taken the princess of a neighboring province as his wife. She has borne him two sons and raised his eldest. Now his control over his dominion is complete, including the royal family itself.

Curse of the Golden Flower

2006

The Flowers of War poster
7.4

A Westerner finds refuge with a group of women in a church during Japan's rape of Nanking in 1937. Posing as a priest, he attempts to lead the women to safety.

The Flowers of War

2011

Shadow poster
6.7

In a kingdom ruled by a young and unpredictable king, the military commander has a secret weapon: a shadow, a look-alike who can fool both his enemies and the King himself. Now he must use this weapon in an intricate plan that will lead his people to victory in a war that the King does not want.

Shadow

2018

Shadow poster
6.7

In a kingdom ruled by a young and unpredictable king, the military commander has a secret weapon: a shadow, a look-alike who can fool both his enemies and the King himself. Now he must use this weapon in an intricate plan that will lead his people to victory in a war that the King does not want.

Shadow

2018

Scare Out poster
6.2

After a critical intelligence leak, a national security unit launches an intensive investigation. But successive setbacks in their arrest operations reveal a shocking truth: the trail leads back to within the unit itself. Amidst a storm of trust and betrayal, a silent battle begins to unfold...

Scare Out

2026

Scare Out poster
6.2

After a critical intelligence leak, a national security unit launches an intensive investigation. But successive setbacks in their arrest operations reveal a shocking truth: the trail leads back to within the unit itself. Amidst a storm of trust and betrayal, a silent battle begins to unfold...

Scare Out

2026

Coming Home poster
7.3

Lu and Feng are a devoted couple forced to separate when Lu is arrested and sent to a labor camp as a political prisoner during the Cultural Revolution. He finally returns home only to find that his beloved wife no longer remembers him.

Coming Home

2014

Cliff Walkers poster
6.7

In the puppet state of Manchukuo in the 1930s, four Communist party special agents, after returning to China, embark on a secret mission. Sold out by a traitor, the team find themselves surrounded by threats on all sides.

Cliff Walkers

2021

Cliff Walkers poster
6.7

In the puppet state of Manchukuo in the 1930s, four Communist party special agents, after returning to China, embark on a secret mission. Sold out by a traitor, the team find themselves surrounded by threats on all sides.

Cliff Walkers

2021

Under the Hawthorn Tree poster
7.8

The daughter of a right-winger, schoolgirl Jing Qiu is sent to the countryside for reeducation, and tasked to help write a textbook. There she meets Lao San, a young soldier with a bright future ahead. Despite the class divide and parental disapproval, romance blooms against turbulent times.

Under the Hawthorn Tree

2010

Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles poster
7.1

Takada, a Japanese fisherman has been estranged from his son for many years, but when the son is diagnosed with terminal cancer his daughter-in-law, Rie, summons him to the hospital. Through a series of obstacles and relationships, he is brought unexpectedly closer to both an understanding of himself and of his son.

Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles

2005

One Second poster
7.3

A movie fan escapes from a labour camp during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and strikes up a relationship with a homeless female vagabond.

One Second

2020

One Second poster
7.3

A movie fan escapes from a labour camp during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and strikes up a relationship with a homeless female vagabond.

One Second

2020

The Road Home poster
7.4

Prompted by the death of his father and the grief of his mother, a man recalls the story of how they met in flashback.

The Road Home

1999

Ju Dou poster
7.3

Tianqing falls in love with Ju Dou, his uncle's wife who is tortured for being childless. However, after they have an affair, they discover that his uncle is impotent and try to conceal the truth.

Ju Dou

1990

Full River Red poster
6.0

During China's Song Dynasty, a mysterious murder occurs at Chancellor Quin Hui's palace after meeting delegates from the neighboring Jin Dynasty. The members become embroiled not just in a murder mystery, but a larger conspiracy concerning the fate of the empire.

Full River Red

2023

Full River Red poster
6.0

During China's Song Dynasty, a mysterious murder occurs at Chancellor Quin Hui's palace after meeting delegates from the neighboring Jin Dynasty. The members become embroiled not just in a murder mystery, but a larger conspiracy concerning the fate of the empire.

Full River Red

2023

Shanghai Triad poster
6.9

Shanghai, China, 1930. When young Shuisheng arrives from the countryside, his uncle Liushu puts him at the service of Bijou, the mistress of Laoda, supreme boss of the Tang Triad, constantly threatened by his enemies, both those he knows and those lurking in the shadows.

Shanghai Triad

1995

Happy Times poster
7.1

Zhao is an ageing bachelor, who has not been fortunate in love. Believing that he has finally met the female of his dreams, Zhao makes her believe that he is opulent and consents to a lavish wedding.

Happy Times

2000

Red Sorghum poster
7.2

An old leper who owned a remote sorghum winery dies. Jiu'er, the wife bought by the leper, and her lover, identified only as "my Grandpa" by the narrator, take over the winery and set up an idealized quasi-matriarchal community headed by Jiu'er. When the Japanese invaders subject the area to their rule and cut down the sorghum to make way for a road, the community rises up and resists as the sorghum grows anew.

Red Sorghum

1988

Lumière & Company poster
6.4

40 international directors were asked to make a short film using the original Cinematographe invented by the Lumière Brothers, working under conditions similar to those of 1895. There were three rules: (1) The film could be no longer than 52 seconds, (2) no synchronized sound was permitted, and (3) no more than three takes.

Lumière & Company

1995

Article 20 poster
6.8

Tells the story of prosecutor Han Ming who is involved in a difficult case where the intentional injury of people is turned into a legitimate defense.

Article 20

2024

Article 20 poster
6.8

Tells the story of prosecutor Han Ming who is involved in a difficult case where the intentional injury of people is turned into a legitimate defense.

Article 20

2024

The Story of Qiu Ju poster
7.4

When her husband is kicked in the groin by the village head, Qiu Ju, a peasant woman, despite her pregnancy, travels to a nearby town, and later a big city to deal with its bureaucrats and find justice.

The Story of Qiu Ju

1992

My People, My Homeland poster
6.2

In different parts of rural China, various people explore what makes their communities unique.

My People, My Homeland

2020

Keep Cool poster
7.5

A spurned lover seeks a rich man for revenge. A random onlooker — who witnessed the public assault committed by the rich man against the lover — seeks for monetary compensation for his smashed computer.

Keep Cool

1997

To Each His Own Cinema poster
6.4

Commissioned to mark the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, "To Each His Own Cinema" brought together 33 of the world's pre-eminent filmmakers to produce short pieces exploring the multifarious facets of cinema and their perspective on the state of their chosen artform in the early 21st century.

To Each His Own Cinema

2007

To Each His Own Cinema poster
6.4

Commissioned to mark the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, "To Each His Own Cinema" brought together 33 of the world's pre-eminent filmmakers to produce short pieces exploring the multifarious facets of cinema and their perspective on the state of their chosen artform in the early 21st century.

To Each His Own Cinema

2007

Under the Light poster
5.8

Officers Su Jianming and Li Huilin investigate a crime involving wealthy businessman Li Zhitian. As clues emerge, the investigation becomes more and more like a game of chess.

Under the Light

2023

Not One Less poster
7.5

Set in the People's Republic of China during the 1990s, the film centers on a 13-year-old substitute teacher, Wei Minzhi, in the Chinese countryside. Called in to substitute for a village teacher for one month, Wei is told not to lose any students.

Not One Less

1999