Direction: Zhang Yimou

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Gong Li · Jin Shuyuan · Cao Cuifen · He Caifei

Synopsis Raise the Red Lantern (1991) is set in 1920s China, where a 19-year-old woman named Songlian is compelled to enter into a marriage with Chen Zuoqian, a wealthy and influential man, following her father's passing. Chen, already married to three...

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Gong Li · Ge You · Jiang Wu · Niu Ben

Synopsis To Live (1994) follows the journey of Fugui, a man from a once-affluent family whose life takes a dramatic turn due to his gambling addiction and a streak of misfortune. He loses his family home in a dice game with...

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Zhang Ziyi · Sun Honglei · Hao Zheng · Yuelin Zhao

Synopsis The Road Home (1999) follows Luo Yusheng (Sun Honglei), who journeys back to his rural hometown, Sanheutun, to assist his elderly mother in organizing a traditional funeral for his late father. The narrative delves into the emotional journey of Luo...

Direction Zhang Yimou · Yang Fengliang

Cast Gong Li · Li Baotian · Cong Zhijun · Li Wei

Synopsis Ju Dou (1990) tells the story of a woman who is wedded to a cruel and childless dye mill proprietor in the countryside of China. She becomes pregnant by her husband's nephew, but societal norms compel her to nurture her...

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Wei Minzhi · Zhang Huike · Tian Zhenda · Gao Enman

Synopsis Not One Less (1999) unfolds in an isolated mountain village where a teacher's temporary absence leads to an unexpected challenge. The village mayor, unable to find a suitable replacement, entrusts a 13-year-old girl, Wei Minzhi, with the responsibility of teaching....

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Zhou Dongyu · Shawn Dou · Chen Taisheng · Rina Sa

Synopsis The Love of the Hawthorn Tree (2010) unfolds a poignant tale of love blossoming between a young woman and a young man amidst the tumultuous backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and '70s. Despite their differing economic backgrounds,...

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Jet Li · Tony Leung Chiu-Wai · Maggie Cheung · Zhang Ziyi

Synopsis Hero (2002) is a visually stunning martial arts epic set during China's Warring States period, where the country was fragmented into seven rival kingdoms. The Qin King, driven by ambition, sought to unify China and become its first emperor. He...

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Christian Bale · Ni Ni · Xinyi Zhang · Shigeo Kobayashi

Synopsis The Flowers of War (2011) unfolds in 1937 China amidst the tumult of the second Sino-Japanese war. A mortician, John (Christian Bale), journeys to a Catholic church in Nanjing to prepare a priest for burial. Upon his arrival, he encounters...

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Gong Li · Lei Kesheng · Zhijun Ge · Liu Peiqi

Synopsis The Story of Qiu Ju (1992) follows the journey of a determined pregnant peasant woman who embarks on a quest for justice after her husband is injured by the village chief. The film delves into the complexities of the Chinese...

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Jan Peter Balkenende · Barbara Bush · George W. Bush · George Bush

Synopsis Beijing 2008 Olympics Games Opening Ceremony (TV) (2008) provides a comprehensive look at the grand commencement of the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing. This documentary captures the spectacular and culturally rich events that unfolded during the opening ceremony, showcasing...

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Zhang Ziyi · Takeshi Kaneshiro · Andy Lau · Song Dandan

Synopsis House of Flying Daggers (2004) is set in 859 AD during the waning days of the Tang Dynasty, a once-great Chinese empire now plagued by a feeble emperor and widespread corruption. Chaos looms as rebellious factions rise, with the most...

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Gong Li · Jiang Wen · Teng Rujun · Liu Jia

Synopsis Red Sorghum (1988) unfolds in the tumultuous 1930s in China, where a young woman is compelled by her father to wed the ailing proprietor of a winery. Amidst the vibrant red sorghum fields, she develops feelings for one of his...

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Gong Li · Chen Daoming · Zhang Huiwen · Guo Tao

Synopsis Coming Home (2014) follows the story of Lu Yanshi and Feng Wanyu, a deeply committed couple whose lives are abruptly torn apart when Lu is imprisoned in a labor camp due to political reasons, coinciding with Feng's severe injury in...

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Zhao Benshan · Angela Dong · Dong Lihua · Fu Biao

Synopsis Happy Times (2000) follows Zhao (Zhao Benshan), a retired individual with modest resources, who seeks companionship and proposes to a woman (Dong Lihua) he believes will be easy to win over. However, his plans are disrupted when she insists on...

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Ken Takakura · Shinobu Terajima · Kiichi Nakai · Ken Nakamoto

Synopsis Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (2005) is a poignant tale directed by Zhang Yimou, following an elderly Japanese man, Takata Gou-ichi, portrayed by TAKAKURA Ken, who embarks on a profound journey through China's vast landscapes. After receiving a call...

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Gong Li · Li Baotian · Li Xuejian · Sun Chun

Synopsis Shanghai Triad (1995) follows the journey of a naive country boy, Shuisheng, who is taken to bustling Shanghai by his uncle, Liu, to serve under the enigmatic 'Boss,' the head of a formidable drug syndicate in the 1930s. Shuisheng is...

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Chow Yun-Fat · Gong Li · Jay Chou · Qin Junjie

Synopsis Curse of the Golden Flower (2006) delves into the intricate and unstable dynamics of power within a royal family, where the Emperor (Chow Yun Fat) and the Empress (Gong Li) engage in a complex web of intrigue, betrayal, and hidden...

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Deng Chao · Sun Li · Ryan Zheng · Guan Xiaotong

Synopsis Shadow (2018) unfolds in the kingdom of Pei, where a ferocious and unpredictable ruler (Zheng Kai) holds sway. The king's most trusted military leader (Deng Chao) has proven his mettle in combat but must navigate the treacherous waters of the...

Direction Zhang Yimou

Cast Yi Zhang · Fan Wei · Li Xiaochuan · Yu Ailei

Synopsis One Second (2020) follows a convict who is dispatched to a labor camp in the barren northwest region of China during the tumultuous Cultural Revolution. Driven by a singular goal—to catch a glimpse of his daughter in a newsreel—he cleverly...

Direction Theodoros Angelopoulos · Olivier Assayas · Bille August · Jane Campion

Cast Cindy Beckett · Audrey Dana · Jacques Frantz · George Babluani

Synopsis To Each His Cinema (2007) is a 2007 cinematic tribute, curated and produced by Gilles Jacob, honoring the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival. This unique film is an anthology of 35 short films, each lasting three minutes, crafted...