Zhang Nuanxin

Zhang Nuanxin (27 October 1940 – 28 May 1995) was a Chinese film director, film theorist and a leading figure of the Fourth Generation of Chinese Directors.

Quotes

• It seems that several countries are paying more and more attention to women filmmakers, because in the past all the directors in those countries were men, and women have encountered many problems in trying to become directors. But in China, I feel that problem has never existed. In this respect, men and women have always had equal opportunities. In other countries, women feel a need to emphasize what they've been through, but in China things are different. I feel that what many of the films made in China in the past lacked was individuality and character. They were all rather cliched and publicized policies for the authorities. You can't see the character of the artist, male or female. So, in making films, my primary motivation is to express myself, and in expressing myself, it's very natural that my being a woman should be part of that. (discussing western scholarship of gender as not being useful in distinguishing Chinese films, and highlighting differences between the Chinese and Western film industries)
  • Primary Source - Camera Obscura - Interview and Scholarly Article by Chris Berry - Volume 6, No. 3 (18), Pages 20-25 - Interview with Zhang Nuanxin - Published 1 September 1988, Originally Interviewed at Beijing Film Academy on 9 November 1987 - Archive - DOI
  • Secondary Source - European Guanxi Article/Blog Post by Giulia D’Aquila - Female Chinese Film Directors: Zhang Nuanxin - 8 March 2021 - Archive