Jia Zhangke
Jia Zhangke (Chinese贾樟柯/贾樟柯, Pinyin Jiǎ Zhangke; born 1970 in Fenyang, Shanxi ) is a Chinese film director.
Jia first studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Taiyuan. In 1991 he published a first novel. Later he moved to the Film Academy in Beijing, where he called a group for experimental film to life, which is considered the first independent production center for films in China. His past five movies that are attributed to the Chinese underground film were awarded at various international film festivals awards. So won the 1998 debut film Xiao Wu to lent in the Berlinale NETPAC Award and the Wolfgang Staudte price. 2000 was his film Zhantai at the Film Festival in Venice in competition for the Golden Lion. Also in 2004, the film Shijie. Finally, Jia was awarded in 2006 for Still Life of the Golden Lion. In 2007 he won for the documentary Wuyong in Venice the Orizzonti Doc Prize. In 2008 he was represented with the feature film 24 City in competition at the 61st Cannes Film Festival, where it competed unsuccessfully for the Golden Palm.
The Films of Jia Zhangke are characterized by a pronounced realism. He finds his subjects in everyday life of the semi-urban areas of China, where he brings the downside of this on the screen what the official Chinese cinema designs. Result of his work is a high popularity in Europe, while it is largely unknown in his home to a wide public.
In 2011 he was appointed at the 68th International Film Festival in Venice as president of the jury of the official section Orizzonti.
2013 received Jia Tian zhu ding his third invitation to compete in the International Film Festival of Cannes. The movie documented by four people in four different provinces of the increasing violence that brings the economic success in contemporary China with him.