Wang Bing (director)

Career

Wang is known for his extreme use of cinema verité. All of his films are documentaries features direct cinema techniques (without any narrator's voice-over or conventional structure), usually with lengthy running times, and following sensitive Chinese societal themes.

His first documentary, Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks (2002), a 9-hour epic about late 20th century industrial China, is considered his first major success, the film went on to win the Grand Prix at the Marseille Festival of Documentary Film and was shown at the Punto de Vista International Documentary Film Festival.

Wang's followed with Fengming, a Chinese Memoir (2007), a 3-hour documentary about Chinese Communist Revolution aftermath, the film had its world premiere at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, and was later shown at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival.

His 2008's Crude Oil, a 14-hour epic documentary about oil field workers in China's Inner Mongolian, the film had its world premiere at the 2008 Rotterdam Film Festival.

His 2010's The Ditch, a 109-minute documentary about labor camps during Maoist China era, had its world premiere at the main competition of the 67th Venice International Film Festival as the film sorpresa. His following documentaries Three Sisters (2012), 'Til Madness Do Us Part (2013) and Bitter Money (2016) also had world premieres at the Venice Film Festival.

French philosopher Georges Didi-Huberman dedicated a long epilogue to Wang Bing in his 2012 book, Peuples exposés, peuples figurants. He reflects on the social fate of images thoroughly analyzing Wang's 2010 Man with No Name, writing that the director, as a humble portrait artist of a single rural worker, manages to represent the whole of China's people (as well as people from all over the World) "not through his past, nor his ideas, nor his name, nor his place in society, but through the simple gestures with which he works at his solitary life", as opposed to the common epic portraits of national identity based on military prowess, war heroes and manifest destinies.

His 2017's Mrs. Fang had its world premiere at the main competition of the 70th Locarno Film Festival where it won the Golden Leopard.

Wang's Dead Souls (2018), a 8-hour epic about survivors of the labor camps in the Gobi Desert in Gansu, had its world premiere out of competition of 2018 Cannes Film Festival, and was met with widespread critical acclaim.

After a 5-year hiatus, Wang released the Youth trilogy, Spring, Hard Times, Homecoming (2023–2024). The documentaries had its world premiere at the main competition of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, 77th Locarno Film Festival and 81st Venice International Film Festival, respectively.

Personal life

Political views

In December 2023, alongside 50 other filmmakers, Wang Bing signed an open letter published in Libération demanding a ceasefire and an end to the killing of civilians amid the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, and for a humanitarian corridor into Gaza to be established for humanitarian aid, and the release of hostages.

Censorship in China

Shortly after Wang's Youth (Homecoming) was selected for the main competition section at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, Chinese websites including Douban and Baidu Baike erased Wang's profile page and his entire filmography. News websites such as Sohu had previously reported on Wang's Golden Lion nomination, but the articles were subsequently taken offline. References to Wang on Chinese social media were also censored. At the 62nd New York Film Festival, where both Youth (Hard Times) and Youth (Homecoming) screened in the Main Slate, Wang told the audience that he did not care about China's official censorship. Previously at the 2023 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, where Wang was invited as the Guest of Honor, he stated that "I'm not particularly interested in politics (…) I don't want my films to become a political tool", and that he wanted to step away from "the big machine that runs in China, the process of basically making everything propaganda in a way".

Filmography

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. Koehler, Robert. (2007-05-20). "Fengming: A Chinese Memoir- Cannes Film Festival Review". Variety.
2. [http://www.obsessedwithfilm.com/reviews/venice-2010-review-the-ditch-the-film-sorpresa-that-couldnt-live-up-to-last-years-herzog.php Obsessed With Film, Venice 2010 Review: THE DITCH; the “film a sorpresa” that couldn’t live up to last year’s Herzog], September 6, 2010
3. Didi-Huberman, Peuples exposés, peuples figurants. L'Oeil de l'histoire, 4, Minuit, 2012, pp. 235-257
4. (28 December 2023). "Gaza : des cinéastes du monde entier demandent un cessez-le-feu immédiat". [[Libération]].
5. Newman, Nick. (29 December 2023). "Claire Denis, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Christian Petzold, Apichatpong Weerasethakul & More Sign Demand for Ceasefire in Gaza".
6. (31 December 2023). "Directors of cinema sign petition for immediate ceasefire". [[The Jerusalem Post]].
7. Jones, Marcus. (2024-07-23). "Venice 2024 Analysis: Brutal Running Times, 'Babygirl,' and More Surprises".
8. (2024-07-26). "中国导演才入围威尼斯影展 百度豆瓣上“被消失” {{!}} 联合早报".
9. Cuevas, David. (2024-08-21). "Youth (Hard Times) Review: Big Trouble in Zhejiang Province".
10. (2024-07-26). "中名導入圍威尼斯 踩紅線作品全下架".
11. Aguiar, Annie. (2024-08-06). "Festival Winners Crowd New York Film Festival Main Slate Lineup". [[The New York Times]].
12. (2024-10-03). "王兵再臨紐約影展 紀錄片揭勞工困境 嗆中國「不在乎封殺」".
13. Dalton, Ben. (2023-08-30). "IDFA 2023 to celebrate Wang Bing, Peter Greenaway".
14. Ross, Rafa Sales. (2023-11-11). "IDFA Guest of Honor Wang Bing Discusses Chinese Censorship, Upcoming Trilogy and Politics: 'I Don't Want My Films to Become a Political Tool'".
15. Ntim, Zac. (2023-10-03). "Asia Pacific Screen Awards: Ryusuke Hamaguchi's 'Evil Does Not Exist' Leads Nominations & First Round Winners Announced".
16. (16 October 2024). "17th ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED".
17. "Top 10 des années 2000".
18. Mitchell, Wendy. (19 May 2018). "Cannes documentary prize goes to 'Samouni Road'; full Doc Day report".
19. Ramonbordes, Barbara. (2023-05-12). "Les documentaires à Cannes, découvrez la Sélection 2023 de L'Œil d'or".
20. Khaldi, Tarik. (2023-05-18). "Qingchun (Youth (Spring)): working-class China through the eyes of Wang Bing".
21. "doclisboa 2007".
22. (2012-10-29). "Longa-metragem "San Zimei", de Wang Bing, conquista Grande Prémio do 10º Doclisboa".
23. Mourinha, Jorge. (2014-10-25). "Olhar de Wang Bing sobre a China moderna volta a triunfar no DocLisboa".
24. Weissberg, Jay. (2012-12-17). "'Wadjda' wins Dubai's top prize".
25. Vivarelli, Nick. (2017-09-29). "'Scary Mother' Takes Top Nod at Egypt's Inaugural El Gouna Fest".
26. Blaney, Martin. (10 March 2008). "Malaysia's Flower In The Pocketwins Fribourg Grand Prix".
27. Rosser, Michael. (25 March 2013). "Three Sisters wins at Fribourg".
28. Savage, Sophia. (December 14, 2012). "Film Comment Names Fifty Best Films of 2012, Led By 'Holy Motors,' 'The Master' & 'Moonrise Kingdom'".
29. Stevens, Beth. (2024-02-11). "2024 ICS Award Winners".
30. (2012-01-17). "「一枚のハガキ」が1位 キネマ旬報ベストテン".
31. (April 8, 2017). "Bitter Money, by Wang Bing, Cajamar Foundation Golden Lady Harimaguada of the 17th International Film Festival".
32. Hudson, David. (2017-08-12). "Locarno 2017: Golden Leopard for Wang Bing".
33. Lodge, Guy. (2024-08-17). "Lithuanian Teen Drama 'Toxic' Wins Big at Locarno Film Festival".
34. Piña, Christy. (December 10, 2023). "‘The Zone of Interest’ Named Best Picture of 2023 by L.A. Film Critics Association".
35. (22 September 2023). "Wang Bing: “Filmmaking is not that complicated”".
36. "Festival 2003".
37. "Festival 2012".
38. "Festival 2013".
39. Shackleton, Liz. (November 25, 2023). "'Stonewalling' Wins Best Film At Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards".
40. Wong, Silvia. (2 October 2024). "'Dead Talents Society' leads Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards nominations".
41. Cabeza, Elisabet. (27 October 2024). "Alain Guiraudie's 'Misericordia' wins top award at Valladolid Film Week".
42. Jennings, Sheri. (6 September 2010). "Wang Bing's The Ditch is Venice's surprise film".
43. (2012-09-08). "'Pieta' wins Golden Lion; 'Master' takes Silver".
44. Tartaglione, Nancy. (September 10, 2016). "Venice Film Festival: Golden Lion To 'The Woman Who Left'; Tom Ford's 'Nocturnal Animals', Emma Stone Take Major Prizes – Full List".
45. (22 August 2024). "Four French films in Competition at the 81st Venice Film Festival".
46. "YIDFF: Past Festivals: 2003".
47. "YIDFF: Past Festivals: 2007".
48. "YIDFF: Past Festivals: 2019".