Wu Tianming facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wu Tianming
Born	(1939-12-05)December 5, 1939 Sanyuan County, Shaanxi
Died	March 4, 2014(2014-03-04) (aged 74) Beijing, China
Occupation	Film director Film producer
Awards	Hawaii Best Feature Film 1984 River Without Buoys Tokyo Grand Prix 1988 Old Well Tokyo Best Director Award 1996 King of MasksGolden Rooster Awards – Best Picture 1988 Old Well Best Director 1988 Old Well 1996 King of Masks Special Jury Award 2013 Song of the Phoenix
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	吳天明
Simplified Chinese	吴天明
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Wú Tiānmíng

Wu Tianming (simplified Chinese: 吴天ming; traditional Chinese: 吳天ming; pinyin: Wú Tiānmíng; December 5, 1939 – March 4, 2014) was a famous Chinese film director and producer. He was known as one of the leading "Fourth Generation" directors in China.

Wu Tianming's Early Life and Training

Wu Tianming was born in Sanyuan County, Shaanxi Province, China. This was on December 5, 1939. When he was 20, in 1960, he joined a film acting class. This class was at the Xi’an Film Studio.

At that time, China had 16 state-run film studios. The Xi'an studio was close to his home. He got paid by the studio and had small roles in movies in the early 1960s.

Learning to Direct Films

In 1966, a big event called the Cultural Revolution began. It stopped movie productions in the studios. From 1974 to 1976, Wu studied at the Beijing Film Academy. He focused on learning how to direct movies.

Becoming a Film Director

In 1982, Wu Tianming started directing movies. He co-directed two films with his friend Teng Wenji at Xi’an. After that, he directed his first movie by himself. This film was called River Without Buoys.

Leading the Xi'an Film Studio

River Without Buoys was very successful. Because of this, Wu Tianming became the head of the Xi'an Film Studio in 1983. He was only 45 years old, making him the youngest studio head in China.

In 1984, Wu directed his movie Life. This film talked about problems in Chinese society. It showed how people sometimes had to take jobs they didn't choose. It also showed issues like favoritism.

Wu wanted to make movies that were deeply connected to the areas around Xi’an. He also wanted to make new, experimental films. These films were called "tansuo pian". He wanted to improve the quality of Chinese movies. He didn't worry if these films would make a lot of money.

Helping New Directors

Wu Tianming helped many new directors. These directors became known as the "Fifth Generation." He let them make creative films. Some of these films included Tian Zhuangzhuang's The Horse Thief (1986). This movie was filmed in Tibet and Gansu. Another was Chen Kaige's King of the Children (1987), filmed in Yunnan.

Wu's choices sometimes caused disagreements. Other studio heads thought his films were too "elitist." They believed regular people wouldn't understand them. But Wu's films did well and won awards around the world. This helped him continue his work.

In 1987, Wu made a deal with Zhang Yimou. Zhang was the cinematographer for Wu's film Old Well. Wu agreed to let Zhang direct his first movie, Red Sorghum. In return, Zhang starred in Old Well and helped with its filming. Both movies were very popular in China and internationally.

Later Career and Legacy

Wu Tianming was a strong leader. When a government official criticized his work, Wu spoke out. He said the official didn't understand films but wanted to control them. He continued to support new directors like Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige.

In 1989, Wu went to the United States. He was a visiting scholar at NYU. He decided to stay there for a few years. He even ran a video rental store in California.

Returning to China

Wu returned to China in 1994. He directed The King of Masks in 1995. This film was made by Shaw Brothers and received praise worldwide. He also made An Unusual Love Story in 1998.

In 2012, Wu went back to acting. He starred in the film Full Circle. His last film as a director was The Song of the Phoenix. It was finished in 2013. However, it was released in China in May 2016, after he had passed away.

Wu Tianming died on March 4, 2014. He was 74 years old and passed away from a heart attack.

Filmography

As a Director

As a Producer

Images for kids

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  A picture of Wu Tianming.

See also

In Spanish: Wu Tianming para niños