Liu Miaomiao (director)

Liu Miaomiao (simplified Chinese: 刘苗苗; traditional Chinese: 劉苗苗; born 1962 in Guyuan, Ningxia) is a Chinese film director. Liu, a Hui Muslim, was the youngest member of the 1982 class of the Beijing Film Academy, commonly referred to as the Fifth Generation.[1] Her career has spanned both film and television, though she remains less well known than many of her male counterparts to international audiences.

Liu Miaomiao
Born1962
Guyuan, Ningxia, China
Occupation(s)Film and television director
Years active1980s – present
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese劉苗苗
Simplified Chinese刘苗苗
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLíu Miáomiáo

Career

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Liu graduated from the BFA's directing program, in which she enrolled at the age of sixteen,[2] along with directors such as Tian Zhuangzhuang and Chen Kaige. Upon graduation, she was assigned to the Xiaoxing Film Studio where she directed her first solo work, Stories of the Voyage in 1985 at the age of 23.[1]

In 1987, she directed the war film Women on the Long March, about eight female Red Army soldiers who find themselves separated from their main force during the Long March.[3][2] In the early 1990s, Liu filmed two important works, 1993's Chatterbox, and 1994's Family Scandal (co-directed with Cui Xiaoqin). Both films garnered international notice, particularly the former, which won an award at the Venice International Film Festival.[1] Chatterbox was a personal work as well, with Liu receiving no salary for the film and borrowing heavily to bring it to an international venue.[1]

Liu Miaomiao has also shifted her career into filming television programs and films.[2]

Selected filmography

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Year English Title Chinese Title Notes
1985 Stories of the Voyage Directorial debut[1]
1987 Women on the Long March 马蹄声碎
1988 The Boxer 拳击手
1993 Chatterbox 杂嘴子 *Also known as An Innocent Babbler
*Winner of The President of the Italian Senate's Gold Medal at the Venice Film Festival
1994 Family Scandal 家丑 Co-directed with Cui Xiaoqin

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Zhang, Yingjin & Xiao, Zhiwei (1998). "Liu Miaomiao" in Encyclopedia of Chinese Film. Taylor & Francis, p. 227. ISBN 0-415-15168-6.
  2. ^ a b c Cui, Shuqin (2005). "Liu Miaomiao" in Encyclopedia of Contemporary Chinese Culture, edited by Edward Lawrence Davis. Routledge, p. 482. ISBN 0-203-64506-5.
  3. ^ Hu, Lindan (2017). "Rescuing female desire from revolutionary history: Chinese women's cinema in the 1980s". Asian Journal of Women's Studies. 23 (1). Taylor and Francis: 49–65. doi:10.1080/12259276.2017.1279890. S2CID 218771001.
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