Li Shaohong (born 7 July 1955) is a Chinese film and television director and producer. She is considered a member of the Fifth Generation movement, and China's top woman director. Her films have won multiple awards in China and abroad, including the Golden Montgolfiere at the 1992 Three Continents Festival (for ''Bloody Morning''), and the Silver Bear at the 1995 Berlin International Film Festival (for '' Blush'').

Early life

Li was born on 7 July 1955 in

Suzhou Suzhou is a major prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province, China. As part of the Yangtze Delta megalopolis, it is a major economic center and focal point of trade and commerce. Founded in 514 BC, Suzhou rapidly grew in size by the ...

, Jiangsu, but is considered a native of her ancestral hometown, Wendeng, Shandong, by Chinese convention. In 1969, when she was only 14, Li joined the army in the

Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...

military region, working in a military hospital. Reflecting on her military life, she said the army had too many rules and did not suit her personality, and she decided to pursue a film career. After the end of the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...

, she was admitted to Beijing Film Academy in 1978, graduating from its film directing department in 1982.

Career

In 1982, Li joined the Beijing Film Studio, where she worked as the assistant director for several films. In 1988, she directed her first film ''The Case of the Silver Snake''. Li's 1990 film '' Bloody Morning'' was a great success, winning multiple awards in China, Taiwan, France, and Germany, including the Golden Montgolfiere at the 1992 Three Continents Festival in

Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

. She became recognized as a member of the Fifth Generation movement of Chinese cinema, a loose collection of mainland Chinese filmmakers that first emerged in the early to mid-1980s, along with other directors like

Zhang Yimou Zhang Yimou (; born 14 November 1950) is a Chinese filmmaker.Tasker, Yvonne (2002). "Zhang Yimou" i''Fifty Contemporary Filmmakers'' Routledge Publishing, p. 412. . Google Book Search. Retrieved 21 August 2008. A leading figure of China's Cinem ...

and Chen Kaige. Like other Fifth Generation films, Li Shaohong's works often focus on the rural side of Chinese society. In 1994, she directed the film '' Blush'' (''Hongfen''), adapted from Su Tong's eponymous novel about two Shanghai prostitutes at the time of Liberation in 1949. The film won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Single Achievement at the 45th Berlin International Film Festival in 1995. With the 2004 film '' Baober in Love'', Li broke the mode of her previous works and ventured into the realm of

magical realism Magical realism, magic realism, or marvelous realism is a style or genre of fiction and art that presents a realistic view of the world while incorporating magical elements, often blurring the lines between speculation and reality. ''Magical rea ...

. Li is also a producer and has her own film production company. She has become a household name in China and is considered China's top woman director. She has also directed several TV dramas, including '' Palace of Desire'' (1998), which won the 18th Golden Eagle award for best TV drama, and '' The Dream of Red Mansions'' (2010).

Personal life

Li Shaohong is married to Zeng Nianping (), a cameraman. They met at the Beijing Film Academy, where she was a student and he was an assistant professor. They have a daughter.

Filmography

References

External links

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Li Shaohong
at the Chinese Movie Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Shaohong 1955 births Living people Film directors from Jiangsu Beijing Film Academy alumni Artists from Suzhou Chinese women film directors Chinese film directors Female military personnel