Edward Yang facts for kids

Edward Yang (Chinese: 楊德昌; pinyin: Yáng Déchāng; November 6, 1947 – June 29, 2007) was a famous Taiwanese filmmaker. He was a leading director in the Taiwanese New Wave film movement. This movement changed how movies were made in Taiwan. Yang, along with other great directors like Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang, helped shape Taiwanese cinema. He won the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival for his movie Yi Yi in 2000.

Edward Yang's Early Life and Career

Yang was born in Shanghai in 1947. He grew up in Taipei, Taiwan. He first studied Electrical Engineering at National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan. He earned his bachelor's degree there. Later, he got his master's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Florida in 1974.

Even though he loved movies since he was a child, Yang first worked in the high-tech industry. He briefly attended USC Film School but felt it was too focused on making commercial movies. He then worked in Seattle, making microcomputers and defense software.

While in Seattle, Yang watched the film Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) by Werner Herzog. This movie made him excited about filmmaking again. It also introduced him to many classic films from around the world. He was especially inspired by the Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni. Yang married Taiwanese singer Tsai Chin in 1985. They later divorced in 1995, and he married pianist Kai-Li Peng.

Edward Yang's Film Career

Starting Out in Film

Yang returned to Taiwan in 1980. A friend asked him to write a script and help with the movie The Winter of 1905 (1981). Yang also had a small acting role in it. His script caught the eye of producer Sylvia Chang. She hired him to write and direct an episode for a TV series called Eleven Women. Yang's episode, "Duckweed," was his first time directing. It was about a country girl who moves to Taipei to work in entertainment.

In 1982, Yang directed a short film called "Desires" for the movie In Our Time. This film was important for the Taiwanese New Wave movement. His short film was about a young girl growing up.

That Day, on the Beach (1983)

Yang's first full-length movie was That Day, on the Beach (1983). While other directors focused on the countryside, Yang often showed city life in his films. This movie explored relationships and families in urban Taiwan. It was also one of the first films where Christopher Doyle worked as a director of photography. The movie won an award for Best Cinematography at the 1983 Asia-Pacific Film Festival.

Taipei Story (1985)

Next, Yang made Taipei Story (1985). He cast his friend, director Hou Hsiao-hsien, as the main character, Lung. Lung was a former baseball player trying to find his way in Taipei. Yang's future wife, Tsai Chin, played Chin, Lung's girlfriend.

Terrorizers (1986)

Yang's third movie was Terrorizers (1986). This was a complex thriller about city life. It showed themes of crime and feeling alone in a big city, similar to the films of Michelangelo Antonioni. The movie won a Silver Leopard award at The Locarno International Film Festival. It also won the Best Film award at the 1986 Golden Horse Film Festival.

A Brighter Summer Day (1991)

Yang's fourth film, A Brighter Summer Day (1991), is considered by many to be his best work. It was a long movie about youth gangs, changes in Taiwanese society after 1949, and American pop culture. A young Chang Chen, who was 15 at the time, starred in the film. The movie's title comes from a lyric in the song "Are You Lonesome Tonight?".

For this film, Yang won the FIPRESCI Prize and a Special Jury Prize at The Tokyo International Film Festival. He also won a Golden Horse award for Best Film and Best Original Screenplay. In 2016, The Criterion Collection released the film on Blu-ray and DVD.

A Confucian Confusion (1994)

Yang's fifth film was A Confucian Confusion (1994). This was a comedy with many characters, set in urban Taiwan. It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival. It also won a Golden Horse Award for Best Screenplay.

Mahjong (1996)

Yang's sixth film, Mahjong (1996), looked at modern urban Taiwan through the eyes of foreign characters. It won an Honourable Mention at the 46th Berlin International Film Festival. Yang also won his second "Best Asian Director" award at The Singapore International Film Festival for this film.

Yi Yi (2000)

Yang is most famous for his seventh and final film, Yi Yi (2000). For this movie, he won the Best Director award at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. Yi Yi tells the story of the Jian family from three different points of view: the father NJ (Wu Nien-jen), the son Yang-Yang (Jonathan Chang), and the daughter Ting-Ting (Kelly Lee). The three-hour film starts with a wedding and ends with a funeral. It explores many parts of human life with humor, beauty, and sadness.

Many film critics praised Yi Yi. It won "Best Film" from the National Society of Film Critics in 2001. It also won "Best Foreign Film" from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle Awards in 2000. The film is available as a special edition from The Criterion Collection.

Other Creative Work

In 1989, Yang started his own film company, "Yang and his Gang." It was later renamed "Atom Films and Theater" in 1992. This new name was inspired by Astro Boy, one of Yang's favorite anime shows when he was young. Atom Films and Theater not only made movies but also put on plays and experimental multimedia shows. In 1992, Yang wrote and directed a play called Likely Consequence. A video of this play can be seen on the Blu-ray/DVD of A Brighter Summer Day.

Yang also worked in advertising. In 1997, he made a TV commercial for Mitsubishi. He also planned to make an animated movie called The Wind with Jackie Chan, but this project was stopped when Yang became ill.

Death

Edward Yang passed away on June 29, 2007, at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He had been battling colon cancer for seven years. He was with his wife, Kaili Peng, and son Sean.

Yang's Film Style and Themes

Edward Yang's movies often had a special visual style. He used slow pacing, long shots, and a steady camera. He rarely used close-ups and often showed empty spaces and city views.

Yang was interested in how changes in Taiwanese society affected people, especially the middle class. He explored the differences between modern and traditional ways of life. He also looked at the connection between business and art, and how money might change artistic work. Because he cared more about making art than selling movies, many of his films are hard to find.

Yang always set his films in the cities of Taiwan. His movies, like A Confucian Confusion, Taipei Story, Mahjong, and Terrorizers, offer deep insights into Taiwanese city life and society.

Yang also worked with other Taiwanese filmmakers. For example, in Yi Yi, he cast the well-known director and writer Wu Nien-jen as the main actor. Wu Nien-jen also had a small role in Yang's 1985 film, Taipei Story, which starred director Hou Hsiao-hsien as the lead. Yang also taught film classes at the Taipei National University of the Arts, and some of his students appeared in his films.

Legacy

In 2000, Yang created Miluku Technology & Entertainment to produce animated films and TV shows. In 2007, he received the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award at the Pusan International Film Festival. He also won a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards that same year.

Filmography

Features

• In Our Time (1982) - segment "Desires"/"Expectation"
• That Day, on the Beach (1983)
• Taipei Story (1985)
• Terrorizers (1986)
• A Brighter Summer Day (1991)
• A Confucian Confusion (1994)
• Mahjong (1996)
• Yi Yi (2000)