Zhang Yang (; born 1967) is a Chinese film director, screenwriter, and occasional actor. He is the son of film director Zhang Huaxun.
Zhang grew up in Beijing and studied until 1988 at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangdong, from which he graduated with a degree in Chinese literature. He then went to the Central Academy of Drama, graduating in 1992.
Career Zhang Yang uses a realistic style and achieved great recognition for his 1999 independent production Xizao (; English translation: Shower), which was successful at Chinese box offices and international film festivals. This was followed in 2001 by Zuotian ("Quitting" in its American release). The actors in this unusual story about a real actor, Jia Hongsheng, and his struggle with drug addiction are Jia himself, Jia's parents, fellow inmates in a mental institution, the director, Zhang, and others playing themselves. The relationship between parents and their grown children is as central to this film as it was in Shower.
Filmography
As director YearEnglish TitleChinese TitlePinyinNotes1997Spicy Love Soup爱情麻辣烫Àiqíng málàtàngElected for competition at the 1998 Tokyo International Film Festival. First independent Chinese film to achieve domestic box office success.Shower DVD, "Talent" section1999Shower洗澡Xǐzǎo2001Quitting昨天Zuótiān2005Sunflower向日葵Xiàngrìkuí2007Getting Home落叶归根Luòyèguīgēn2010Driverless无人驾驶Wúrén jiàshǐ2012Old Man's Wish老人愿Lǎorén yuàn2012Full Circle飞越老人院Fēiyuè lǎorényuàn2015Paths of the SoulSelection of 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. 2016Soul on a String
As actor YearEnglish TitleChinese TitlePinyinRole2002Spring Subway开往春天的地铁;Kāi wǎng chūntiān de dìtiěLao Hu
References
External links
Zhang Yang at the Chinese Movie Database Interview with Zhang Yang from BBC-Films