Huo Jianqi (; born January 20, 1958) is a Chinese film director. Like the cinematographer turned director
Gu Changwei
Gu Changwei (born 12 December 1957) is a Chinese cinematographer and film director. Gu was born in Xi'an, Shaanxi in the People's Republic of China. Gu is considered one of the major Chinese cinematographers working today.Zhang, Yingjin & Xiao, Zhi ...
, Huo Jianqi began his cinematic career in the art department.
Nearly all of Huo's films have been written by his wife and collaborator,
Qiu Shi, who works under the name "Si Wu."
[ Unlike many of his contemporaries (and predecessors), Huo rarely has had issues with the Chinese government regarding his films, leading some western critics to label him the "darling director of China's film bureaucracy."]
Career
Huo attended the Beijing Film Academy
Beijing Film Academy (BFA; ) is a coeducational state-run higher education institution in Beijing, China. The film school is the largest institution specializing in the tertiary education for film and television production in Asia. The academy h ...
in the early 1980s as part of the "Fifth Generation" (which also included directors like Zhang Yimou
Zhang Yimou (; born 2 April 1950) is a Chinese film director, producer, writer, actor and former cinematographer.Tasker, Yvonne (2002). "Zhang Yimou" i''Fifty Contemporary Filmmakers'' Routledge Publishing, p. 412. . Google Book Search. Retriev ...
and Chen Kaige
Chen Kaige (; born 12 August 1952) is a Chinese film director and a leading figure of the fifth generation of Chinese cinema.Berry, Michael (2002). "Chen Kaige: Historical Revolution and Cinematic Rebellion" in Speaking in Images: Interviews wit ...
). After graduation, he worked as an art director, including on films such as Tian Zhuangzhuang
Tian Zhuangzhuang (; born April 1952 in Beijing) is a Chinese film director, producer and actor.
Tian was born to an influential actor and actress in China. Following a short stint in the military, Tian began his artistic career first as an ama ...
's ''The Horse Thief
''The Horse Thief'' is a 1986 Chinese film by director Tian Zhuangzhuang. It follows one of Tian's favorite topics, Chinese minorities, a topic he touched upon in 1984's ''On the Hunting Ground'' and would return to in 2004's documentary, ''Delamu ...
'' (1986). Huo's own career as a director did not begin, however, until 1995 with ''The Winner'' and would not achieve true international success until his 1999 film, ''Postmen in the Mountains
''Postmen in the Mountains'' () is a 1999 Chinese film directed by Huo Jianqi. It is based on the short story of the same name by Peng Jianming ().
''Postmen in the Mountains'' tells the story of an old man ( Teng Rujun) who for years served as ...
''. The simple tale of a father and son traveling through the mountains of Hunan delivering mail proved a success in both China, where it eventually won the Golden Rooster
The Golden Rooster Awards () are film awards given in mainland China. The awards were originally given annually, beginning in 1981. The name of the award came from the year of the Rooster in 1981. Award recipients receive a statuette in the shap ...
for best film, best director, and best actor Teng Rujun
Teng Rujun (; also credited as Ten Rujun) is a Chinese actor. He has appeared in Zhang Yimou's '' Red Sorghum'' and Huo Jianqi
Huo Jianqi (; born January 20, 1958) is a Chinese film director. Like the cinematographer turned director Gu Changw ...
, and abroad in foreign festivals. Upon its release in the United States, the film was praised by critics for its sincerity, critic Roger Ebert noted that the film was "so simple and straightforward that its buried emotions catch us a little by surprise."A Love of Blueness
A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...
'' and 2002's ''Life Show
''Life Show'' () is a 2002 Chinese film directed by Huo Jianqi. A drama, ''Life Show'' tells the story of a restaurant owner, played by Tao Hong, whose busy life dealing with family and business is nevertheless a lonely one. Her life takes a turn ...
'' (which won the Golden Goblet for best film at the Shanghai International Film Festival
The Shanghai International Film Festival (, French: ''Festival international du film de Shanghai''), abbreviated SIFF, is one of the largest film festivals in East Asia.
"China's biggest film festival" according to the Hollywood Reporter. Nex ...
).
Huo scored another success with his adaptation of author Mo Yan
Guan Moye (; born 17 February 1955), better known by the pen name Mo Yan (, ), is a Chinese novelist and short story writer. Donald Morrison of U.S. news magazine ''TIME'' referred to him as "one of the most famous, oft-banned and widely pirate ...
's ''The White Dog and the Swing'', entitled ''Nuan
''Nuan'' () is a 2003 Chinese film directed by Huo Jianqi. The film won the Grand Prix at the 16th Tokyo International Film Festival. The film is an adaptation of author Mo Yan's short story, ''The White Dog and the Swing.'' The film is set in Maoy ...
''. The film, starring Guo Xiaodong
"Guo", written in Chinese language, Chinese: wikt:郭, 郭, is one of the most common Chinese surnames and means "the wall that surrounds a city" in Chinese. It can also be transliterated into English as Cok, Gou, Quo, Quach, Quek, Que, Keh, ...
and Li Jia in the titular role, won the Grand Prix at the Tokyo International Film Festival
The is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biennially from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter. Along with the Shanghai International Film Festival, it is one of Asia's competitive film festivals, and is considered to be the ...
,[ as well as another best picture Golden Rooster.
]
Filmography
References
External links
*
*
Huo Jianqi
at the Chinese Movie Database
Huo Jianqi
at Cinemasie
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huo, Jianqi
Film directors from Beijing
Beijing Film Academy alumni
Art directors
1958 births
Living people