Ning Ying facts for kids

Ning Ying was born in 1959 in Beijing, China. She is a talented Chinese film director. People often see her as part of China's "Sixth Generation" filmmakers. This group includes other famous directors like Jia Zhangke and Zhang Yuan.

Even though she's grouped with the "Sixth Generation," her work style is sometimes closer to the earlier "Fifth Generation" directors. Ning Ying's sister, Ning Dai, is a writer for movies. She often works with Ning Ying on her films. In 1997, Ning Ying was chosen to be a judge at the 47th Berlin International Film Festival.

Ning Ying's Directing Journey

Ning Ying was one of the first students to return to the Beijing Film Academy in 1978. Other famous directors like Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige were in her class. Her path changed when she got to study in Italy. She went to the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, a special film school there.

While in Italy, she met the well-known Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci. Ning Ying worked as his assistant director for the big movie The Last Emperor in 1987.

Beijing Trilogy Films

Ning Ying became known around the world with her 1993 film For Fun. This movie was the first in her "Beijing Trilogy." This is a group of three films that all happen in Beijing, China's capital city. The other two films in this series are On the Beat and I Love Beijing.

These three films show how much Beijing has changed over the past few decades. In 2003, all three movies were shown at the Harvard Film Archive. This special event was called "From China with Love: The Films of Ning Ying."

Later Works and Documentaries

After her Beijing Trilogy, Ning Ying made a full-length documentary film called Railroad of Hope in 2002. This film followed the large movement of workers across China. It showed how many people traveled to find jobs. Railroad of Hope won a major award, the Grand Prix du Cinema du Reel, in 2002.

In 2005, she directed Perpetual Motion. This movie was shown at several important film festivals. These included the Venice and Toronto festivals.

Ning Ying's Filmography