Yimou Zhang
Biography
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 explored in such films as, for example, 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, and in his wuxia films like Hero and House of Flying Daggers.
Most directed genres
Recurring actors
Awards and nominations
- 2010 Asian Film Award for Lifetime Achievement
- 2010 honorary doctor of Yale University
- 2003 Golden Rooster Award for Best Director
- 2002 Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize
- 2000 Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize
- 2000 Golden Rooster Award for Best Director Nominated
- 1999 Golden Lion
- 1999 European Film Award for Best Non-European Film Nominated
- 1995 BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language
- 1994 Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix
- 1991 Silver Lion
- 1988 Golden Bear
- 1988 Golden Rooster Award for Best Actor
- 1988 Golden Rooster Award for Best Actor Nominated
The career in numbers
- US$ 394 mi Total budget from 12 film(s) with data
- US$ 2.5 bi Total box office from 19 film(s) with data
- US$ 33 mi Average budget from 12 film(s) with data
- US$ 130 mi Average box office from 19 film(s) with data
- 7.0 Average rating from 26 film(s) with data
- 2.3× Return on investment from 11 film(s) with data
Budget and box office do not exist for every film in our records. Averages are computed over the films that carry the figure, and the count beside each one says how many.
Films directed
| Film | Year | Budget | Box office | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Scare Out
|
2026 | — | US$ 187 mi | 6.6 |
Article 20
|
2024 | — | US$ 338 mi | 6.9 |
Full River Red
|
2023 | — | US$ 674 mi | 6.0 |
Under the Light
|
2023 | — | US$ 63 mi | 5.8 |
Snipers
|
2022 | — | US$ 90 mi | 6.9 |
Beijing 2022 Olympics Closing Ceremony
|
2022 | — | — | 6.5 |
Cliff Walkers
|
2021 | — | US$ 173 mi | 6.7 |
One Second
|
2020 | US$ 1 mi | US$ 11 mi | 7.3 |
Shadow
|
2018 | US$ 44 mi | US$ 92 mi | 6.7 |
The Great Wall
|
2016 | US$ 150 mi | US$ 332 mi | 6.0 |
Coming Home
|
2014 | — | US$ 48 mi | 7.3 |
The Flowers of War
|
2011 | US$ 94 mi | US$ 95 mi | 7.4 |
Under the Hawthorn Tree
|
2010 | — | — | 7.8 |
A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop
|
2009 | — | — | 4.9 |
Beijing 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremony
|
2008 | — | — | 7.9 |
Beijing 2008 Olympic Closing Ceremony
|
2008 | — | — | 8.6 |
To Each His Own Cinema
|
2007 | — | — | 6.4 |
Curse of the Golden Flower
|
2006 | US$ 45 mi | US$ 79 mi | 6.9 |
Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles
|
2005 | US$ 8 mi | US$ 4 mi | 7.1 |
House of Flying Daggers
|
2004 | US$ 15 mi | US$ 93 mi | 7.3 |
Hero
|
2002 | US$ 31 mi | US$ 177 mi | 7.5 |
Happy Times
|
2000 | US$ 2 mi | US$ 240,093 | 7.1 |
The Road Home
|
1999 | US$ 1 mi | US$ 7 mi | 7.5 |
Not One Less
|
1999 | — | — | 7.5 |
Keep Cool
|
1997 | — | — | 7.5 |
Shanghai Triad
|
1995 | US$ 2 mi | — | 6.8 |
Lumière & Company
|
1995 | — | — | 6.3 |
To Live
|
1994 | — | — | 8.1 |
The Story of Qiu Ju
|
1992 | — | US$ 2 mi | 7.3 |
Raise the Red Lantern
|
1991 | US$ 1 mi | US$ 17 mi | 7.9 |
Ju Dou
|
1990 | — | — | 7.2 |
Codename Cougar
|
1989 | — | — | 5.4 |
Red Sorghum
|
1988 | — | — | 7.2 |
