(Yang Te-ch’ang)
Taiwan
Born: Shanghai, China, 1947.
Edward Yang is often cited, along with Hou Hsiao-Hsien, as one of the central figures of New Taiwan Cinema. Yang’s visual and narrative style is among the most distinctive and spectacular in recent Chinese film. His films are quiet, slow, and use a minimum of dialogue. Western critics often invoke Antonioni, although Yang appears to resent the comparison. In Taiwan, where “different” is read as “foreign,” his departure from the norms of classical style are considered a symptom of Western influence. The director, however, attributes his stark style to Chinese origins, particularly his early education in Chinese brush painting. In any case, Yang’s films are passionately connected to place, as he consistently addresses the problems posed by modern Taiwanese life.