He Ping (; 7 May 1957 – 10 January 2023) was a Chinese film director, screenwriter, and producer born in Shanxi whose main filmography consists of a hybrid genre of Western-wuxia movies. He made three movies along this genre - Swordsmen in Double Flag Town (1991), Sun Valley (1995) and Warriors of Heaven and Earth (2004).
Personal life and background He Ping's mother, Yuan Yuehua (袁月华), was an accomplished director and the female lead in Bridge (1949), the first feature film produced after the founding of the People's Republic of China. He Ping's father, He Wenjin (何文今), was the deputy director of Beijing Film Studio and the director of Beijing Science and Educational Film Studio. He was an ethnic Manchu whose ancestors were members of the Blue Banners.
He Ping died in Beijing, China on 10 January 2023, at the age of 65.
Biography He Ping began his directorial career in the 1980s, directing stage productions and documentary films.Zhang, Yingjin & Xiao, Zhiwei (1998). "He Ping" in Encyclopedia of Chinese Film. Taylor & Francis, p. 183. . By the late 1980s, He transferred to the Xi'an Film Studio, where he began directing fiction films, including We Are the World and Kawashima Yoshiko a film based on the story of the Manchurian-Japanese royal, Kawashima Yoshiko. In the 1990s, He directed two major Chinese Westerns, Swordsmen in Double Flag Town and Sun Valley, and the historical drama Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker. Swordsmen in Double Flag Town went on to win the Grand Prize at the 3rd Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival in February 1992. Sun Valley was entered into the 46th Berlin International Film Festival where it won an Honourable Mention.
In the 2000s, He Ping struck success with his 2004 adventure film Warriors of Heaven and Earth, starring Jiang Wen. He Ping followed this with another historical action film, Wheat, starring Fan Bingbing, which was released in 2009. In 2015, he directed the film The Promised Land, which received an honorable mention from the Platform jury at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.
In addition to being a director, He Ping produced numerous feature films such as The Dream Factory, Big Shot's Funeral, and Kekexili: Mountain Patrol. He also was one of the founding members and the Secretary-general of the China Film Directors' Guild.
Filmography + Year English title Chinese titleDirectorWriterProducer Notes1988 We Are the World 我们是世界 1989 Kawashima Yoshiko 川岛芳子 1991 Swordsmen in Double Flag Town 双旗镇刀客 Japan Yobari International Film Festival Best and Fantasy Adventure Film AwardsBerlin International Film Festival Young DirectorHong Kong Film Awards for Best Mandarin Slice 10Shanghai Critic-named China's Top Photographer Award1994 Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker 炮打双灯 Hawaii International Film Festival Best FilmGolden Rooster Award for Best DirectorGolden Rooster Award for Best Co-produced FilmGolden Rooster Award for Best Art DirectionTaiwan Critics Award1995 Sun Valley 日光峡谷 46th Berlin International Film Festival Honorable Mention1997The Dream Factory甲方乙方1998Be There or Be Square不见不散2001Big Shot's Funeral大腕2002The Missing Gun寻枪2003Cell Phone手机2004Kekexili: Mountain Patrol可可西里2004 Warriors of Heaven and Earth 天地英雄 2009 Wheat 麦田 2015 The Promised Land 回到被爱的每一天 2015 Toronto International Film Festival Platform Jury Honorable Mention
References
External links
He Ping at the Chinese Movie Database