The Old Well

Wu Tianming ,Zhang Yimou's mentor, was head of the Xi'an Film Studio at the time as well as a brilliant director in his own right. Zhang Yimou was one of the films two credited cinematographers. His sharp eye, as well as his chiseled cheekbones, are very much in evidence, but so are Wu Tianming's intelligence, heart and soul. In the late 1980s, he played a crucial role in encouraging and supporting the young "Fifth Generation" directors and helping to assure that their films were shown at as many international film festivals as possible; the more worldwide exposure they had, the harder it would be for the authorities to censor or punish them without causing a worldwide incident. After the Tiananmen massacre, he left China for Los Angeles, but returned from exile when the political situation permitted. His deeply moving last films, KING OF MASKS and THE SONG OF THE PHOENIX, are surely among the greatest works of the Chinese cinema.