Lou Ye

Lou Ye , born 1965, is a Chinese filmmaker. A leading figure of China's Sixth Generation of directors, Lou is known for his art-house vérité films about modern China, which often run afoul of Chinese censors. In June 2018, Lou became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Career Born in Shanghai, Lou was educated at the Beijing Film Academy. In 1993, he made his first film Weekend Lover, but it was not released until two years later, having its world premiere at the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg where it received the Rainer Werner Fassbinder Award. Between completion and premiere of Weekend Lover he made and released Don't Be Young, a thriller about a girl who takes her nightmares as real, in 1994. Lou, however, did not gain international prominence until his third film, the neo-noir Suzhou River. That film dealt with questions of identity and proved quite controversial upon its release in China. Upon its release, international audiences praised Suzhou River, which several critics felt evoked Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, particularly in how both films focus on a man obsessed with a mysterious woman.

Lou—along with actress Nai An—founded the independent production company Dream Factory in 1998, which would go on to produce most of Lou's films.

In 2003 Lou released Purple Butterfly starring Zhang Ziyi. The film is a tale of revenge and betrayal taking place during the Japanese occupation of Shanghai, with a complex narrative structure borrowing heavily from film noir traditions.

Lou's next film, Summer Palace (2006), a story of two lovers in the backdrop of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, again brought Lou into conflict with Chinese authorities, resulting in a five-year ban for both him and his producer. In order to circumvent the ban, his next film, Spring Fever, was shot surreptitiously in Nanjing and registered as a Hong Kong-French coproduction to avoid censors. The film was shown in competition at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival where writer Mei Feng won the Best Screenplay Award.

Censorship in China Lou Ye's films have proven controversial in their content, and often deal with issues of sexuality, gender, and obsession. Government censors banned his first film Weekend Lover for two years, while his breakout film Suzhou River was banned (with Lou receiving a 2-year ban from filmmaking) but has since been authorized in China.

Later, after Lou submitted Summer Palace to the 2006 Cannes Film Festival without approval from Chinese censors, he was banned from film-making again, this time for five years. The film itself was also banned, though according to Lou this was because it was not up to the SARFT's standards for picture and sound quality.

Lou also had to re-edit his film The Shadow Play for two years before he was granted a distribution license in mainland China. The film's plot centers on the investigation of a corruption scandal, inspired by real events in Xiancun. It also touches upon the issue of forced evictions of urban villages in Guangzhou during China's reform and opening up.

His 2024 film portraying pandemic lockdowns, called "An Unfinished Film", was released abroad and is unavailable in China.

Filmography Year English title Chinese title Notes 1994 Don't be young 危情少女 1995 Weekend Lover 周末情人 2000 Suzhou River 苏州河 2001 "In Shanghai" 在上海 Documentary short, 16m 2003 Purple Butterfly 紫蝴蝶 2006 Summer Palace 頤和園 2009 Spring Fever 春风沉醉的夜晚 Cannes Film Festival Award for Best ScreenplayGolden Horse Award for Best Film Editing 2011 Love and Bruises 花 2012 Mystery 浮城谜事 Asian Film Award for Best Film 2014 Blind Massage 推拿 Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic ContributionGolden Horse Award for Best Narrative FeatureAsian Film Award for Best Film 2018 The Shadow Play 风中有朵雨做的云

Awards and nominations Award Year Category Film Result Asian Film Awards 2013 Best Director Mystery Best Screenwriter 2015 Best Director Blind Massage Berlin International Film Festival 2014 Golden Bear Blind Massage Cannes Film Festival 2003 Palme d'Or Purple Butterfly 2006 Summer Palace 2009 Spring Fever 2012 Prix Un Certain Regard Mystery 2024 L'Œil d'or An Unfinished Film China Film Director's Guild Awards 2015 Director of the Year Blind Massage Festival du Film de Paris 2000 Grand Prix Suzhou River Gijón International Film Festival 2019 Best Director Saturday Fiction Golden Horse Awards 2012 Best Director Mystery Best Original Screenplay 2014 Best Director Blind Massage 2018 The Shadow Play 2024 An Unfinished Film International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg 1996 Special Award in memoriam Rainer Werner Fassbinder Weekend Lover International Film Festival Rotterdam 2000 Tiger Award Suzhou River TOKYO FILMeX 2000 Grand Prix Suzhou River 2024 Audience Award An Unfinished Film Venice Film Festival 2011 Giornate degli Autori Award Love and Bruises 2019 Golden Lion Saturday Fiction Vienna International Film Festival 2000 FIPRESCI Prize Suzhou River