Actor

Zhang Yimou

Directing

Career Snapshot

Explained

These indicators come from TMDB. They are relative signals, not review ratings.

Acting credits

Active

Consistent number of acting credits.

TMDB popularity

2.3

Moderate attention

TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.

Movies: 67Series: 14Crew credits: 57

TMDB ID: 607

IMDb ID: nm0955443

Known for: Directing

Born: April 2, 1950

Age: 76

Place of birth: Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China

Gender: Male

Adult content flag: No

Career span: 1962 - 2026

Years active: 65

Average TMDB rating: 6.92

Wikidata: Q55430

Also known as

Yimou Zhang • Yi-Mou Zhang • Имоу Чжан

Other jobs

Director (40)Director of Photography (5)Producer (5)Executive Producer (3)Writer (2)Cinematography (1)Co-Director (1)

TMDB IMDb Wikidata

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.