Zhang Yimou

People’s Republic of China state institutions Marxism–Leninism 1950.4.2.–

Director of Red Sorghum and To Live, and of the Beijing Olympic opening ceremonies

Born in Xi'an, he spent three years as a farm labourer in the Cultural Revolution, then worked in a factory, and in 1978 entered the cinematography department of the Beijing Film Academy. Assigned to the Guangxi Film Studio in 1982, he shot Yellow Earth. He won best actor at Tokyo in 1987 for Old Well and the Berlin Golden Bear for Red Sorghum (1988). To Live (1994) was banned in China, and he is reported to have written a letter of self-criticism. He directed the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.