Chen Kaige

Born: August 12 1952
Where: Beijing, China

The writer and director attracted international acclaim for his epic Farewell, My Concubine in 1993.

Prior to the Cultural Revolution Kaige, the son of a respected film director, attended a school for privileged children in Beijing.

However, under the political shake-up he was sent to work alongside his middle class colleagues in the countryside clearing trees.

After serving in the army, he returned to Beijing where he was among the first of the new intake of students at the newly-reopened Beijing Film Academy.

Looking to Western European directors rather than Hollywood, this "Fifth Generation" also included director Zhang Yimou.

He made his feature debut with Yellow Earth in 1984 and he followed this with The Big Parade and King of Children.

At the same time he lectured at the American University of Columbia before making the acclaimed Farewell, My Concubine.

Subsequent movies included Temptress Moon in 1996 and The Emperor and the Assassin.

His lacklustre first foray into English language cinema Killing Me Softly starred Joseph Fiennes and Heather Graham.

Recent work includes the coming-of-age drama Together With You, about a child prodigy hoping to make it big in Beijing.