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Xie Jin

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Xie Jin was a highly influential Chinese film director.

Xie Jin, BIFF
Xie Jin, BIFF

He was a leader of the Third Generation directors in China. This group helped shape a new era of cinematic storytelling. Throughout his long career, he directed more than 20 films. His work earned him immense popularity among older generations of Chinese people. In fact, six of his films won the Best Picture award at the Hundred Flowers Awards. Xie Jin also achieved unique international recognition. He remains the only Chinese director to belong to both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Directors Guild of America.

His path to directing involved many different roles in the performing arts. Xie Jin began his education in his hometown of Shangyu in Zhejiang Province. He later moved to Shanghai in the 1930s to continue his studies. During his youth, he took specialized courses at the Huaguang Drama School and the Jinxing Film Training School. He studied under notable teachers like Huang Zuolin and Wu Renzhi. He also participated in student drama activities led by Yu Ling. In 1941, he enrolled in the play department of the Jiang'an National Drama School in Sichuan. There, he was educated by famous figures such as Cao Yu and Hong Shen.

Before he was a famous director, Xie Jin worked in various practical roles. In 1943, he joined the China Youth Play Agency in Chongqing. He served there as a stage manager, a scenario writer, and an actor. He later returned to formal studies at the National Drama School in Nanjing to major in directing. By 1948, he was working at the Datong Film Corporation as an assistant and associate director. Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China, he studied at the research institute of politics at North China Revolutionary University. He eventually held director roles at both the Changjiang Film Studio and the Shanghai Film Studio.

His professional breakthrough arrived with his debut work in 1957. This film was titled Woman Basketball Player No. 5. It holds a special place in history as the first color sports film produced in the People's Republic of China. The film received international acclaim very quickly. It won a silver prize at the 6th International Youth Film Festival in 1957. In 1958, it also earned the Silver Hat Prize at the Mexico International Film Week. This success established Xie Jin as a rising talent in the film industry.

As his career progressed, Xie Jin directed several films that achieved massive success. His 1961 film, The Red Detachment of Women, won both Best Picture and Best Directing at the 1st Hundred Flowers Awards. It also won the Wanlong Prize at the 3rd Asia-Africa Film Festival in 1964. Another significant work was Two Stage Sisters, released in 1965. This film won the Sutherland Trophy at the 24th BFI London Film Festival in 1980. It also received prizes at international film festivals in Portugal and Manila. However, the film faced criticism in China because it advocated for the reconciliation of social classes.

Life was not always easy for Xie Jin, as he faced significant personal and political challenges. During the Cultural Revolution, he experienced deep personal loss. He recalled in a 2002 interview that his parents committed suicide due to political pressure. His mother jumped from a building, and his father overdosed on sleeping pills. Xie Jin had to collect their bodies himself. Despite this trauma, he continued to make films about this difficult period in the 1980s. He did this after China began to implement economic reforms and open up to the world. Filmmaker Jia Zhangke noted that making films about such traumatic times remained a risky endeavor.

Later in his life, Xie Jin continued to produce notable works, including The Opium War in 1997. This film earned him a nomination for Best Director at the Golden Rooster Awards. Xie Jin passed away in October 2008. His body was discovered in a hotel room in Shangyu on the morning of October 18. His death was met with massive public mourning. Hundreds of celebrities and thousands of citizens attended his funeral. Even after his death, millions of people stood against derogatory statements made by the media figure Song Zude. This widespread reaction showed the deep respect the public held for Xie Jin's legacy.

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