Zheng Zhengqiu

Zhengqiu Zheng, Zheng actually Fangze ( born January 25, 1889 in Shanghai, † July 16, 1935 ) was a Chinese screenwriter and film director. He is one of the pioneers of Chinese film.

Life

Zheng Zhengqiu was already an influential dramatist and theater critic when he was brought in 1913 by Zhang Shichuan for Asia Film Company. In the same year he wrote for Zhang couple in need - the first original Chinese short film - about the practice of arranged marriage. In 1922 he founded, together with Zhang and Zhou Shichuan Jianyun the Mingxing Film Society and became its assistant manager. Zheng Zhengqiu worked there but mainly as a screenwriter and director. One of the first productions of the studio with the participation of Zheng Zhi was guo yuan ( The Romance of a Fruit Seller, 1922), today the oldest surviving Chinese film. Between 1923 and 1930, Zheng Zhengqiu worked on 53 film productions, including Ruan Lingyus film debut in Bu Wancangs Gua ming de fu qi ( 1927), Zhang Shichuans martial arts movie Huo shao hong lian si ( The Burning of Red Lotus Temple, 1928) and two joint directorial works with Cheng Bugao from the same year. One of the most common processed by Zheng issues is the plight of the poor and powerless, he saw himself as their mouthpiece.

His most commercially successful work as a director was the film Zi mei hua ( Twin Sisters, 1934 ), in which Hu plays the double role. Zheng Zhengqiu contrasts the two roles in keeping with his penchant for the destitute: the married with a rich military sister is mean and cruel, the other has to work as a domestic helper to support her husband, but is kind and loving.

As the chronically ill and revised Zheng died in 1935, both close to him left and representatives of the Kuomintang paid him their respects.