Background and career
Jia Zhangke (Chinese: 贾樟柯, born 24 May 1970) is a Chinese filmmaker. Most known for his "Hometown Trilogy": Xiao Wu (1998), Platform (2000), and Unknown Pleasures (2002), who rose his career as an underground filmmaker to a leading figure of Chinese Cinema Sixth Generation. Jia's work is distinctive for his critical engagement with social issues concerning contemporary China, his intentional blurring of documentary and fiction film, and his attention to a realist aesthetic.
His films are usually starred by his long-time partner collaborator and muse Zhao Tao. At the 63rd Venice International Film Festival, he won the Golden Lion for Still Life (2006). For A Touch of Sin (2013), he won the Best Screenplay award at the 66th Cannes Film Festival. He was also honored with the Leopard of Honour at the 63rd Locarno Film Festival, and the Carrosse d'Or lifetime achievement award at the Directors' Fortnight.
In 2017, he founded Pingyao International Film Festival in China.
