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Chen Kaige

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In this Chinese name, the family name is Chen.
Chen Kaige
陈凯歌
Chen at the 2013 Tokyo International Film Festival
Born
Chen Aige（陈皑鸽）

(1952-08-12) 12 August 1952 (age 72)
Beijing, China
Alma materBeijing Film Academy
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
  • film producer
Years active1984–present
MovementFifth Generation
Spouses
Sun Jialin
​
​
(m. 1983; div. 1986)​
​
​
(m. 1989; div. 1993)​
​
(m. 1997)​
Children2, including Arthur Chen
Parent(s)Chen Huai'ai (father)
Liu Yanchi (mother)
RelativesChen He (nephew)
AwardsFull list

Chen Kaige (Chinese: 陈凯歌; born 12 August 1952) is a Chinese filmmaker. A leading figure of the fifth generation of Chinese directors, Chen is known for his visual flair and epic storytelling.[1][2] Chen won the Palme d'Or at 1993 Cannes Film Festival and the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Award in 1993 for directing Farewell My Concubine.[3]

Early life

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Chen Kaige was born in Beijing, China into a family of Changle, Fuzhou origin, and grew up with fellow Fifth Generation alumnus Tian Zhuangzhuang as a childhood friend. His father Chen Huai'ai [zh] was a well-known director in his own right.[1] His mother Liu Yanchi (刘燕驰) was a senior screenwriter. During the Cultural Revolution, Chen joined the Red Guards. As a teenage member of the Red Guards, Chen, like many other youths, denounced his own father, a fateful decision he eventually learned to regret. Indeed, this period of his life continues to influence much of his work today, notably in the unblinking depictions of the Cultural Revolution in Farewell My Concubine, and in the father-son relationship in Together.[4] In 1969, Chen became a sent-down youth in Xishuangbanna Agricultural Reclamation Bureau for a short while before enlisting in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) next year.[5] In 1975, Chen was discharged from the army and returned to Beijing, where he worked as a worker in Beijing Film Printing Factory. In 1978 Chen joined the Beijing Film Academy, where he graduated in 1982 as part of the so-called Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers.[1]

Career

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Upon graduating, Chen was assigned to the Guangxi Film Studio, along with a fellow graduate, Zhang Yimou.[1] His first movie, Yellow Earth (1984), established itself as one of the most important works of Fifth Generation filmmaking; though simple, its powerful visual imagery (courtesy of cinematography by Zhang) and revolutionary storytelling style marked a sea change in how films were seen and perceived in the People's Republic of China.[1] The film is unique in terms of concept, structure, and style, in line with the "cultural roots seeking" trend that emerged in China in the 1980s. The purpose of filming this film is to attempt to explore the deep cultural heritage of national history and spirit from a cultural perspective.[6]The Big Parade (1986) and King of the Children (1987) expanded on his filmic repertoire. In 1987, he was awarded a fellowship by the Asian Cultural Council and served as a visiting scholar at the New York University Film School.[7] Early in 1989, he did further experimenting in a music video for the song "Do You Believe in Shame?" by Duran Duran.[8] Later that year, he made Life on a String, a highly esoteric movie which uses mythical allegory and lush scenery to tell the story of a blind sanxian musician and his student. In the same year, he was a member of the jury at the 39th Berlin International Film Festival.[9]

His most famous film in the West, Farewell My Concubine (1993), nominated for two Academy Awards and winner of the Palme d'Or at 1993 Cannes Film Festival,[3] follows two Beijing opera stars through decades of change in China during the twentieth century. This made him the first Chinese director to win the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.[10] Chen followed up the unprecedented success of Farewell My Concubine with Temptress Moon (1996), another period drama starring Leslie Cheung and Gong Li. Though it was well received by most critics, it did not achieve the accolades that Concubine did, and many were put off by the film's convoluted plot line. Almost as famous is his The Emperor and the Assassin (1999), an epic involving the legendary King of Qin and the reluctant assassin who aims to kill him.

In 2002, Chen made his first, and to-date only, English-language film, Killing Me Softly, a thriller starring Heather Graham and Joseph Fiennes, though it proved to be both a critical and popular disappointment. This is also Chen Kaige's first work to enter Hollywood, which he referred to as a "secular, life" film.[11] His more recent Together (2002) is an intimate film about a young violinist and his father.It showcases the true desire of young people to grow according to their spiritual guidance, full of sensibility and warmth.[12] "Deep in Flowers" is a collection of short films that opened the Cannes Film Festival in France in 2002. Chen Kaige was responsible for filming "Ten Minutes, Aging", which is the finale of the series. The film selects a theme with strong Chinese and Beijing characteristics - demolition, and tells the story of the mentally ill "Mr. Feng" moving in a seemingly humorous tone.[13] In 2005, he directed The Promise, a fantasy wuxia picture. The Promise saw Chen shifting to a more commercial mindset, a shift regarded by some as a "radical stylistic turn" from his previous works.[8]

In 2006, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 28th Moscow International Film Festival.[14] In 2008, Chen directed the semi-biographical Forever Enthralled, which is a return for him in the sense of directing a film based on Chinese opera. He later went on to direct Sacrifice (2010), which is a re-imagining of the famous play The Orphan of Zhao.[15] His 2012 film Caught in the Web was selected as the Chinese entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards, but it did not make the final shortlist.[16] His Monk Comes Down the Mountain (2015) is a critical bomb but a box office success. He then directed Legend of the Demon Cat (2017), a big-budget Chinese-Japanese co-production. The movie is adapted from the novel of the same name by Japanese fantasy novelist Mombasaur.[17]

Since 2019, Chen directed or produced a series of propaganda films that are sometimes commissioned by the Chinese government, including co-directing The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021), China's highest-grossing film of all time.[18]

Chen has also acted in several films, including Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor (1987) and his own The Emperor and the Assassin and Together.

Personal life

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Chen's first wife was Sun Jialin (孙加林), whom he knew while working at the Beijing Film Factory from 1975 to 1978; they married in 1983 and divorced three years later. His second wife was Hong Huang, daughter of Zhang Hanzhi, a diplomat and English teacher of Mao Zedong. They separated in 1991 and divorced in 1993. From 1991, Chen lived with Ni Ping, a television personality, in a six-year relationship.[19][20] In 1996, Chen married actress Chen Hong. They have two sons, Chen Yu'ang and "Arthur" Chen Feiyu.[21]

Chen Kaige is the holder of a green card to the United States.[22]

Filmography

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Year Title Chinese Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1984 Yellow Earth 黃土地 Yes Yes No
1986 The Big Parade 大閱兵 Yes No No
1987 King of the Children 孩子王 Yes Yes No [23]
1991 Life on a String 邊走邊唱 Yes Yes No
1993 Farewell My Concubine 霸王別姬 Yes No No Palme d'Or winner at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival
1996 Temptress Moon 風月 Yes Yes No
1998 The Emperor and the Assassin 荊柯刺秦王 Yes Yes Yes
2002 Killing Me Softly 温柔地杀我 Yes No No
2002 100 Flowers Hidden Deep Yes No No Segment in the anthology film Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet
2002 Together 和你在一起 Yes Yes Yes 2002 Silver Seashell for Best Director at the San Sebastián International Film Festival
2005 The Promise 無極 Yes Yes Yes
2007 Zhanxiou Village Yes No No Vignette in the anthology film To Each His Cinema
2008 Forever Enthralled 梅兰芳 Yes No No
2010 Sacrifice 趙氏孤兒 Yes Yes No [24]
2012 Caught in the Web 搜索 Yes Yes No Fictional treatment of the human flesh search engine.[25]
2015 Monk Comes Down the Mountain 道士下山 Yes Yes No [26]
2017 Legend of the Demon Cat 妖猫传 Yes Yes No [27]
2019 My People, My Country 我和我的祖国 Yes No No [28]
2021 The Battle at Lake Changjin 长津湖 Yes No Yes [29][30]
2022 The Battle at Lake Changjin II 长津湖之水门桥 Yes No Yes
2023 Flowers Bloom in the Ashes 尘埃里开花 Yes No Yes [31]
The Volunteers: To the War 志愿军：雄兵出击 Yes No No [32][33]
2024 The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death 志愿军：存亡之战 Yes No No
TBA Swan Song Yes No No [34]

Television (as director)

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Year English Tltle Chinese Title Notes
1984 Emergency Take-off 强行起飞 [35]
2002 Lubu and Diaochan 吕布与貂蝉 [36]

Executive producer

[edit]
Year English Tltle Chinese Title Notes Ref
2020 Something Just Like This [zh] 青春创世纪 iQiyi web series [37]
The Eight [zh] 民初奇人传 [38]

Actor

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Year English Title Chinese Title Role Notes
1987 The Last Emperor 末代皇帝 Captain of Imperial Guard
1999 The Emperor and the Assassin 荊柯刺秦王 Lü Buwei
2001 The Grand Mansion Gate 大宅门 An official guest
2002 Together 和你在一起 Yu Shifeng
2009 The Founding of a Republic 建國大業 Feng Yuxiang
2012 The Monkey King 3D: Uproar in Heaven 大闹天宫3D Dragon King of the East China Sea Voice role

Awards and nominations

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International

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Year Nominated work Award Result Notes
Cannes Film Festival
1988 (41st) King of the Children Palme d'Or Nominated
1991 (44th) Life on a String Nominated
1993 (46th) Farewell My Concubine Won
FIPRESCI Prize Won
1996 (49th) Temptress Moon Palme d'Or Nominated
1999 (52nd) The Emperor and the Assassin Nominated
Berlin International Film Festival
2009 (59th) Forever Enthralled Golden Bear Nominated
Academy Awards
1994 (66th) Farewell My Concubine Best International Feature Film Nominated
Golden Globe Awards
1994 (51st) Farewell My Concubine Best Foreign Language Film Won
2006 (63rd) The Promise Nominated
César Awards
1994 (19th) Farewell My Concubine Best Foreign Film Nominated
Tokyo International Film Festival
2008 Akira Kurosawa Award Won
Montreal World Film Festival
1987 (11th) The Big Parade Jury Grand Prize Won
Locarno Festival
1985 (38th) Yellow Earth Silver Leopard Award Won
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Won
Thessaloniki International Film Festival
2006 (47th) Lifetime Achievement Award Won

Domestic

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Year Nominated work Award Result Notes
Golden Rooster Awards
2004 (22nd) Together Best Director Won
Best Picture Nominated
2009 (27th) Forever Enthralled Best Picture Won
Best Director Nominated
2020 (33rd) My People, My Country Nominated
2022 (35th) The Battle at Lake Changjin Won
Hundred Flowers Awards
2020 (35th) My People, My Country Best Director Nominated
Huabiao Awards
2009 (13th) Forever Enthralled Outstanding Director Won
Outstanding Film Won
2011 (14th) Sacrifice Outstanding Film Won
China Film Directors Association
2018 (9th) Legend of the Demon Cat Film of the Year Nominated
Director of the Year Nominated
Chinese Film Media Awards
2003 (3rd) Together Best Director Nominated
2011 (11th) Sacrifice Filmmaker of the Year Won
Huading Awards
2020 (27th) My People, My Country Best Film Director Award Nominated
Shanghai International Film Festival
2010 (13th) Chinese-language Film Outstanding Contribution Award Won
Beijing College Student Film Festival
2009 (16th) Forever Enthralled Best Director Won
Best Film Won
2018 (25th) Legend of the Demon Cat Best Director Nominated
Best Viewing Effect Award Won
Hong Kong Film Award
2004 (23rd) Together Best Asian Film Award Nominated
2009 (28th) Forever Enthralled Nominated
Macau International Movie Festival
2018 (10th) Legend of the Demon Cat Best Picture Nominated
Best Director Nominated

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e Berry, Michael (2002). "Chen Kaige: Historical Revolution and Cinematic Rebellion" in Speaking in Images: Interviews with Contemporary Chinese Filmmakers. Columbia University Press, pg. 83; ISBN 0-231-13331-6
  2. ^ (7 January 1994) FILM / Critical Round-up independent.co.uk
  3. ^ a b "CHEN Kaige". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2013-11-07.
  4. ^ Klady, Leonard (2003-05-31). "Interview – Chen Kaige". Movie City News. Archived from the original on 2007-04-01. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
  5. ^ Zhao Biqing (赵碧清), ed. (27 December 2017). 陈凯歌 善用电影语言，呈现中国美学. xinhuanet.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  6. ^ "【人文素养】影片《黄土地》赏析". Weixin Official Accounts Platform. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  7. ^ "The filmmakers". Archived from the original on 2009-04-30.
  8. ^ a b Doughton, K. L. (2007-02-03). "The Color of Forbidden Fruit: Chen Kaige lights up the screen with The Promise". MovieMaker Magazine. Archived from the original on 2013-01-04. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
  9. ^ "Berlinale: 1989 Juries". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2011-03-09.
  10. ^ "陈凯歌", 维基百科，自由的百科全书 (in Chinese), 2024-04-29, retrieved 2024-06-25
  11. ^ "听陈凯歌讲述胶片盒里的故事". www.cctv.com. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  12. ^ 网易 (2023-02-08). "陈凯歌导演的这10部电影，你更喜欢哪一部？". www.163.com. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  13. ^ "影视分析 | 《百花深处》". www.360doc.com. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  14. ^ "28th Moscow International Film Festival (2006)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 2013-04-21. Retrieved 2013-04-21.
  15. ^ Lee, Maggie (11 January 2011). "Sacrifice – Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
  16. ^ "Caught in the Web Competes for Academy Awards". Chinese Films. 29 September 2012. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  17. ^ 李飞. "陈凯歌《妖猫传》：文化多元下的盛世想象 | 影评". Weixin Official Accounts Platform. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  18. ^ He, Laura (2021-10-04). "China's Korean War propaganda movie smashes box office record | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  19. ^ "Director Banks on New Film for Box-office Success". China Daily. December 16, 2005.
  20. ^ Mak Mun San (May 21, 2007). "8 questions with... Hung Huang". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
  21. ^ Yang Jie, ed. (December 8, 2008). "Chen Hong, behind Chen Kaige´s illustrious cinematic career". Culture Express. CCTV International.
  22. ^ "陈凯歌曾陷国籍门：绿卡VS入籍应区分". Sina (in Chinese). Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  23. ^ "King of the Children". Time Out. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  24. ^ Lee, Maggie (January 11, 2011). "Sacrifice: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  25. ^ Clare Pennington (September 14, 2012). "China, Framed by the Cinema and the Web: 'Caught in the Web,' on Web Searches in China". The New York Times. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
  26. ^ Tsu, Clarence (July 6, 2015). "'Monk Comes Down the Mountain' ('Dao Shi Xia Shan'): Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  27. ^ Lee, Maggie (January 4, 2018). "Film Review: 'Legend of the Demon Cat'". Variety. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  28. ^ "我和我的祖国"七大导演首曝时尚大片 陈凯歌徐峥宁浩管虎强强联手 献礼建国70年. Mtime (in Chinese). April 25, 2019. Archived from the original on January 23, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  29. ^ Steven Lee Myers; Amy Chang Chien (5 October 2021). "For China's Holidays, a Big-Budget Blockbuster Relives an American Defeat". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  30. ^ Patrick, Brzeski (23 June 2021). "Cannes: Tsui Hark, Chen Kaige and Dante Lam Co-Direct China's Most Expensive Film Ever". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  31. ^ 陈凯歌陈飞宇父子档电影《尘埃里开花》开机. Mtime (in Chinese). July 3, 2019. Archived from the original on September 14, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  32. ^ Rosser, Michael (September 25, 2023). "Fortissimo boards Chen Kaige's 'The Volunteers: To The War'". Screen Daily. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  33. ^ Rong, Yu (April 19, 2023). "陈凯歌新片《志愿军：雄兵出击》官宣，朱一龙、陈飞宇、张子枫主演" [Official announcement of Chen Kaige's new film "Volunteer Army: Heroes Attack", starring Zhu Yilong, Chen Feiyu and Zhang Zifeng]. iFeng (in Chinese). Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  34. ^ Frater, Patrick; Keslassy, Elsa (May 2, 2023). "Chen Kaige Sets 'Swan Song' Tchaikovsky Epic as Next Directorial Project". Variety. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  35. ^ "王学圻陈凯歌24年四度合作 《梅兰芳》饰十三燕" [Wang Xueqi and Chen Kaige collaborated four times in 24 years in "Mei Lanfang" as Thirteen Swallows]. Sohu (in Chinese). 13 November 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  36. ^ Yue, Fuyu (6 June 2001). "走近史上经典 关注陈凯歌新剧《吕布与貂蝉》" [Closer to the classics in history, pay attention to Chen Kaige's new drama "Lu Bu and Diao Chan"]. Sina (in Chinese). Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  37. ^ Liu, Huan (5 November 2020). "《青春创世纪》定档 陈凯歌首次担任都市剧监制" ["Youth Genesis" is finalized Chen Kaige is the first urban drama producer]. China News (in Chinese). Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  38. ^ Guo, Guanhua; Ding, Tao (10 June 2020). "陈凯歌首次监制网剧 《民初奇人传》定档6月12日" [Chen Kaige's first production of the online drama "Biography of Strange People in the Early Republic of China" is scheduled for June 12]. People.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 29 August 2023.
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