born Nov. 14, 1950, Xi'an, China
Chinese film director.
He began his film career as a cinematographer, and his work for Chen Kaige's The Yellow Earth (1983) helped launch the "Fifth Generation," filmmakers who brought back sensuality and emotion to Chinese movies. Zhang made his directorial debut with Red Sorghum (1987), which starred Gong Li in the first of her acclaimed roles. Noted for his technical mastery, he also directed films such as Ju Dou (1990), Raise the Red Lantern (1991), The Story of Qiu Ju (1992), To Live (1994), and Shanghai Triad (1995).