Chinese Fifth Generation

In 1978 the Beijing Film Academy reopened after the Cultural Revolution, and its first graduating class, the 'Fifth Generation', went on to make a very different kind of Chinese film. Chen Kaige's Yellow Earth (1984), photographed by Zhang Yimou, used wide landscapes, long silences and bold colour to speak about tradition and rural poverty. Zhang Yimou's Red Sorghum won the Golden Bear in 1988, and Chen's Farewell My Concubine shared the 1993 Palme d'Or. Their stories of village life, family and political upheaval were often banned at home, but became the first Chinese films to win a world audience.

Where

Mainland China

When

1984 to the late 1990s

Key figures

Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou, Tian Zhuangzhuang, cinematographer Gu Changwei

Landmark films

Yellow Earth (1984), Red Sorghum (1987), Raise the Red Lantern (1991), Farewell My Concubine (1993)

Legacy

Opened Chinese film to the world and defined its image for a generation

What to look for

• Rich, saturated colour and carefully composed wide images
• Stories of village life, family and tradition under pressure
• Allegories of power that often met official censorship