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Chen Kaige

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In thisChinese name,thefamily nameisChen.
Chen Kaige
Trần khải ca
Chen at the 26th Tokyo International Film Festival
Born
Chen Aige ( trần ngai cáp )

(1952-08-12)12 August 1952(age 71)
Beijing,China
NationalityChina
Alma materBeijing Film Academy
Occupations
Years active1984–present
Known forChinese"Scar Cinema",critique ofCultural Revolutionera China
Notable workYellow Earth
Farewell my Concubine
Caught in the Web
MovementFifth Generation
Spouses
Sun Jialin
​
​
(m.1983;div.1986)​
​
​
(m.1989;div.1993)​
​
(m.1997)​
Children2, includingArthur ChenChen Yuang
Parent(s)Chen Huai'ai(father)
Liu Yanchi (mother)
RelativesChen He(nephew)
AwardsFull list
Chinese name
Simplified ChineseTrầnKhảiCa
Traditional ChineseTrầnKhảiCa

Chen Kaige(Chinese:Trần khải ca;born 12 August 1952) is a Chinesefilmmakerand a leading figure of the fifth generation ofChinese cinema.[1]His films are known for their visual flair and epic storytelling.[2]Chen won thePalme d'Orat1993 Cannes Film Festivaland theInternational Federation of Film Critics(FIPRESCI) Award in 1993 for directingFarewell My Concubine.[3]

In recent years, Chen directed the war filmThe Battle at Lake Changjinandits sequelwithTsui HarkandDante Lam,with the two films characterized by his signature storytelling and made in cooperation with theChinese Communist Party.

Early life[edit]

Chen Kaige was born inBeijing,Chinainto a family ofChangle,Fuzhouorigin, and grew up with fellowFifth GenerationalumnusTian Zhuangzhuangas a childhood friend. His fatherChen Huai'ai[zh]was a well-known director in his own right.[1]His mother Liu Yanchi (Lưu yến trì) was a senior screenwriter. During theCultural Revolution,Chen joined theRed 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 inFarewell My Concubine,and in the father-son relationship inTogether.[4]In 1969, Chen became asent-down youthin Xishuangbanna Agricultural Reclamation Bureau for a short while before enlisting in thePeople'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 theBeijing Film Academy,where he graduated in 1982 as part of the so-called Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers.[1]

Career[edit]

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) andKing of the Children(1987) expanded on his filmic repertoire. In 1987, he was awarded a fellowship by theAsian Cultural Counciland served as a visiting scholar at theNew York University Film School.[7]Early in 1989, he did further experimenting in amusic videofor the song "Do You Believe in Shame?"byDuran Duran.[8]Later that year, he madeLife on a String,a highly esoteric movie which usesmythicalallegoryand lush scenery to tell the story of a blindsanxianmusician and his student. In the same year, he was a member of the jury at the39th Berlin International Film Festival.[9]

His most famous film in the West,Farewell My Concubine(1993), nominated for twoAcademy Awardsand winner of thePalme d'Orat1993 Cannes Film Festival,[3]follows twoBeijing operastars 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 ofFarewell My ConcubinewithTemptress Moon(1996), another period drama starringLeslie CheungandGong Li.Though it was well received by most critics, it did not achieve the accolades thatConcubinedid, and many were put off by the film's convoluted plot line. Almost as famous is hisThe Emperor and the Assassin(1999), an epic involving the legendaryKing of Qinand 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 starringHeather GrahamandJoseph 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 recentTogether(2002) is an intimate film about a youngviolinistand 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 directedThe Promise,a fantasywuxiapicture.The Promisesaw 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 the28th Moscow International Film Festival.[14]

In 2008, Chen directed the semi-biographyForever Enthralled,which is a return for him in the sense of directing a film based on Chinese opera. He later went on to directSacrifice(2010), which is a re-imagining of the famous playThe Orphan of Zhao.[15]His 2012 filmCaught in the Webwas selected as the Chinese entry for theBest Foreign Language Oscarat the85th Academy Awards,but it did not make the final shortlist.[16]HisMonk Comes Down the Mountain(2015) is a critical bomb but a box office success. He then directedLegend 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, who is similar in age to Chen Kaige.[17]

Since 2019, Chen directed or produced a series of propaganda films that are sometimes commissioned by the government, including co-directingThe Battle at Lake Changjin(2021),China's highest-grossing film of all time.[18]The promotional video series also includes the trilogy "Volunteer Army", which tells the story of the Chinese People's Liberation Army during its resistance against the United States and aid to Korea.[19]

Chen has also acted in several films, includingBernardo Bertolucci'sThe Last Emperor(1987) and his ownThe Emperor and the AssassinandTogether.

Personal life[edit]

Chen's first wife was Sun Jialin (Tôn gia lâm), whom he met while working at the Beijing Film Factory, between 1975 and 1978; they married in 1983 and divorced three years later. His second wife wasHong Huang,daughter ofZhang Hanzhi,a diplomat and English teacher ofMao Zedong.They separated in 1991 and divorced in 1993. Since 1991, Chen lived withNi Ping,a television personality, for 6 years.[20][21]In 1996, Chen married actressChen Hong.[22]

Chen Kaige is the holder of agreen cardto theUnited States.[23]

Filmography[edit]

Year Title Chinese Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1984 Yellow Earth Hoàng thổ địa Yes Yes No
1986 The Big Parade Đại duyệt binh Yes No No
1987 King of the Children Hài tử vương Yes Yes No [24]
1991 Life on a String Biên tẩu biên xướng Yes Yes No
1993 Farewell My Concubine Bá vương biệt cơ Yes No No Palme d'Orwinner at the1993 Cannes Film Festival
1996 Temptress Moon Phong nguyệt Yes Yes No
1998 The Emperor and the Assassin Kinh kha thứ tần vương Yes Yes Yes
2002 Killing Me Softly Ôn nhu địa sát ngã Yes No No
2002 100 Flowers Hidden Deep Yes No No Segment in the anthology filmTen Minutes Older: The Trumpet
2002 Together Hòa nhĩ tại nhất khởi Yes Yes Yes 2002 Silver Seashell for Best Director at theSan Sebastián International Film Festival
2005 The Promise Vô cực Yes Yes Yes
2007 Zhanxiou Village Yes No No Vignette in the anthology filmTo Each His Cinema
2008 Forever Enthralled Mai lan phương Yes No No
2010 Sacrifice Triệu thị cô nhi Yes Yes No [25]
2012 Caught in the Web Sưu tác Yes Yes No Fictional treatment of thehuman flesh search engine.[26]
2015 Monk Comes Down the Mountain Đạo sĩ hạ sơn Yes Yes No [27]
2017 Legend of the Demon Cat Yêu miêu truyện Yes Yes No [28]
2019 My People, My Country Ngã hòa ngã đích tổ quốc Yes No No [29]
2021 The Battle at Lake Changjin Trường tân hồ Yes No Yes [30][31]
2022 The Battle at Lake Changjin II Trường tân hồ chi thủy môn kiều Yes No Yes
2023 Flowers Bloom in the Ashes Trần ai lí khai hoa Yes No Yes [32]
The Volunteers: To the War Chí nguyện quân: Hùng binh xuất kích Yes No No [33][34]
TBA Swan Song Yes No No [35]

Television (as director)[edit]

Year English Tltle Chinese Title Notes
1984 Emergency Take-off Cường hành khởi phi [36]
2002 Lubu and Diaochan Lữ bố dữ điêu thiền [37]

Executive producer[edit]

Year English Tltle Chinese Title Notes Ref
2020 Something Just Like This[zh] Thanh xuân sang thế kỷ iQiyiweb series [38]
The Eight[zh] Dân sơ kỳ nhân truyện [39]

Actor[edit]

Year English Title Chinese Title Role Notes
1987 The Last Emperor Mạt đại hoàng đế Captain of Imperial Guard
1999 The Emperor and the Assassin Kinh kha thứ tần vương Lü Buwei
2001 The Grand Mansion Gate Đại trạch môn An official guest
2002 Together Hòa nhĩ tại nhất khởi Yu Shifeng
2009 The Founding of a Republic Kiến quốc đại nghiệp Feng Yuxiang
2012 The Monkey King 3D: Uproar in Heaven Đại nháo thiên cung 3D Dragon King of the East China Sea Voice role

Awards and nominations[edit]

International[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^abcdeBerry, Michael (2002). "Chen Kaige: Historical Revolution and Cinematic Rebellion" inSpeaking in Images: Interviews with Contemporary Chinese Filmmakers.Columbia University Press, pg. 83;ISBN0-231-13331-6
  2. ^(7 January 1994)FILM / Critical Round-upindependent.co.uk
  3. ^ab"CHEN Kaige".festival-cannes.com.Retrieved2013-11-07.
  4. ^Klady, Leonard (2003-05-31)."Interview – Chen Kaige".Movie City News. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-04-01.Retrieved2007-04-23.
  5. ^Zhao Biqing (Triệu bích thanh), ed. (27 December 2017).Trần khải ca thiện dụng điện ảnh ngữ ngôn, trình hiện trung quốc mỹ học.xinhuanet.com(in Chinese).Retrieved9 October2021.
  6. ^"【 nhân văn tố dưỡng 】 ảnh phiến 《 hoàng thổ địa 》 thưởng tích".Weixin Official Accounts Platform.Retrieved2024-06-25.
  7. ^"The filmmakers".Archived fromthe originalon 2009-04-30.
  8. ^abDoughton, K. L. (2007-02-03)."The Color of Forbidden Fruit: Chen Kaige lights up the screen with The Promise".MovieMaker Magazine.Archived fromthe originalon 2013-01-04.Retrieved2008-08-25.
  9. ^"Berlinale: 1989 Juries".berlinale.de.Retrieved2011-03-09.
  10. ^"Trần khải ca",Duy cơ bách khoa, tự do đích bách khoa toàn thư(in Chinese), 2024-04-29,retrieved2024-06-25
  11. ^"Thính trần khải ca giảng thuật giao phiến hạp lí đích cố sự".www.cctv.com.Retrieved2024-06-25.
  12. ^Võng dịch (2023-02-08)."Trần khải ca đạo diễn đích giá 10 bộ điện ảnh, nhĩ canh hỉ hoan na nhất bộ?".www.163.com.Retrieved2024-06-25.
  13. ^"Ảnh thị phân tích | 《 bách hoa thâm xử 》".www.360doc.com.Retrieved2024-06-25.
  14. ^"28th Moscow International Film Festival (2006)".MIFF.Archived fromthe originalon 2013-04-21.Retrieved2013-04-21.
  15. ^Lee, Maggie (11 January 2011)."Sacrifice – Film Review".The Hollywood Reporter.
  16. ^"Caught in the WebCompetes for Academy Awards ".Chinese Films.29 September 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 9 October 2012.Retrieved29 September2012.
  17. ^Lý phi."Trần khải ca 《 yêu miêu truyện 》: Văn hóa đa nguyên hạ đích thịnh thế tưởng tượng | ảnh bình".Weixin Official Accounts Platform.Retrieved2024-06-25.
  18. ^He, Laura (2021-10-04)."China's Korean War propaganda movie smashes box office record | CNN Business".CNN.Retrieved2024-05-28.
  19. ^"Nhượng niên khinh quan chúng ký trụ" tối khả ái đích nhân "Trần khải ca đạo diễn 《 chí nguyện quân: Hùng binh xuất kích 》 khẩu bi phiếu phòng song thu - tân hoa võng".www.xinhuanet.com.Retrieved2024-06-25.
  20. ^"Director Banks on New Film for Box-office Success".China Daily.December 16, 2005.
  21. ^Mak Mun San (May 21, 2007)."8 questions with... Hung Huang".AsiaOne.Archived fromthe originalon June 5, 2011.RetrievedMay 24,2009.
  22. ^Yang Jie, ed. (December 8, 2008)."Chen Hong, behind Chen Kaige´s illustrious cinematic career".Culture Express. CCTV International.
  23. ^"Trần khải ca tằng hãm quốc tịch môn: Lục tạp VS nhập tịch ứng khu phân".Sina(in Chinese).Retrieved20 March2017.
  24. ^"King of the Children".Time Out.10 September 2012.Retrieved29 August2023.
  25. ^Lee, Maggie (January 11, 2011)."Sacrifice: Film Review".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedAugust 29,2023.
  26. ^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.RetrievedSeptember 18,2012.
  27. ^Tsu, Clarence (July 6, 2015)."'Monk Comes Down the Mountain' ('Dao Shi Xia Shan'): Film Review ".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedAugust 29,2023.
  28. ^Lee, Maggie (January 4, 2018)."Film Review: 'Legend of the Demon Cat'".Variety.RetrievedAugust 29,2023.
  29. ^"Ngã hòa ngã đích tổ quốc" thất đại đạo diễn thủ bộc thời thượng đại phiến trần khải ca từ tranh ninh hạo quản hổ cường cường liên thủ hiến lễ kiến quốc 70 niên.Mtime(in Chinese). April 25, 2019. Archived fromthe originalon January 23, 2020.RetrievedAugust 3,2019.
  30. ^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.Retrieved9 October2021.
  31. ^Patrick, Brzeski (23 June 2021)."Cannes: Tsui Hark, Chen Kaige and Dante Lam Co-Direct China's Most Expensive Film Ever".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved9 October2021.
  32. ^Trần khải ca trần phi vũ phụ tử đương điện ảnh 《 trần ai lí khai hoa 》 khai cơ.Mtime(in Chinese). July 3, 2019. Archived fromthe originalon September 14, 2019.RetrievedAugust 3,2019.
  33. ^Rosser, Michael (September 25, 2023)."Fortissimo boards Chen Kaige's 'The Volunteers: To The War'".Screen Daily.RetrievedDecember 29,2023.
  34. ^Rong, Yu (April 19, 2023)."Trần khải ca tân phiến 《 chí nguyện quân: Hùng binh xuất kích 》 quan tuyên, chu nhất long, trần phi vũ, trương tử phong chủ diễn"[Official announcement of Chen Kaige's new film "Volunteer Army: Heroes Attack", starring Zhu Yilong, Chen Feiyu and Zhang Zifeng].iFeng(in Chinese).RetrievedAugust 22,2023.
  35. ^Frater, Patrick; Keslassy, Elsa (May 2, 2023)."Chen Kaige Sets 'Swan Song' Tchaikovsky Epic as Next Directorial Project".Variety.RetrievedAugust 29,2023.
  36. ^"Vương học kỳ trần khải ca 24 niên tứ độ hợp tác 《 mai lan phương 》 sức thập tam yến"[Wang Xueqi and Chen Kaige collaborated four times in 24 years in "Mei Lanfang" as Thirteen Swallows].Sohu(in Chinese). 13 November 2008.Retrieved29 August2023.
  37. ^Yue, Fuyu (6 June 2001)."Tẩu cận sử thượng kinh điển quan chú trần khải ca tân kịch 《 lữ bố dữ điêu thiền 》"[Closer to the classics in history, pay attention to Chen Kaige's new drama "Lu Bu and Diao Chan" ].Sina(in Chinese).Retrieved29 August2023.
  38. ^Liu, Huan (5 November 2020)."《 thanh xuân sang thế kỷ 》 định đương trần khải ca thủ thứ đam nhậm đô thị kịch giam chế"[ "Youth Genesis" is finalized Chen Kaige is the first urban drama producer].China News(in Chinese).Retrieved29 August2023.
  39. ^Guo, Guanhua; Ding, Tao (10 June 2020)."Trần khải ca thủ thứ giam chế võng kịch 《 dân sơ kỳ nhân truyện 》 định đương 6 nguyệt 12 nhật"[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).Retrieved29 August2023.

External links[edit]

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