Gong li

The presence of oriental cinema among the big names in the world of celluloid is not new. Akira Kurosawa was in charge of bringing the public closer to a cinema different from the one made in Hollywood. Like him, there have been other names that have helped to know and respect another way of presenting the seventh art. For a few years now, this cinema has entered the western billboards with force. The South Korean Kim Ki-duk , the Iranian Abbas Kiarostami , or the Israeli Amos Gitai have contributed to demonstrating that oriental cinema not only exists but that it can be of great quality. In the great tidal wave of what is labeled the ‘East’, China stands out especially. Directors like Wong Kar WaiThey have been decisive in generating collective applause for Chinese cinema. Its stars have crossed borders, and the Hollywood business machine has not wanted to close its doors to these greats of international cinema.

Little did Gong Li imagine in his early days that his professional future would be linked to the mecca of cinema. The actress was born in Shenyang (China) in 1965 and grew up in Jina. As a child, she was in love with music and dreamed of having a career as a singer. At the age of 20, she got a place at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, where she graduated in 1989. Two years before she got her degree, Ella Li she began dating director Zhan Yimou. At that time he was also a beginner, but today he is one of those Chinese authors who have managed to captivate the West with his aesthetics and cinematographic approach. In 1987 both made their film debut, Yimou behind the cameras and Li as the protagonist, in Red Sorgo . Those were times when the professional and personal lives of both were united. In 1989 the two starred in Qin yong and Yimou co-directed her in Operation Cougar , the same thing that happened the following year in Chrysanthemum Seed . The sentimental relationship of the director and the actress lasted until 1995, during which time Li became Yimou’s muse by starring in all six of her films. The red lantern in 1991 gave way to Qui Ju, a Chinese woman(1992), a film that helped Gong Li to win the Volpi Cup at the Venice Festival. The West had recognized the work of the couple, opening a path for both of them that took them beyond their borders. That path would take Li to the mecca of cinema.

The actress starred in Chen Kaige ‘s Farewell My Concubine in 1993 . Drama about a love triangle, in addition to the Palme d’Or at Cannes, it won the Golden Globe for best foreign film and had two Oscar nominations, photography and foreign language film. Her beloved Yimou returned to claim her services to Live! (1994) and The Jewel of Shanghai (1995). The latter was a Sino-French co-production and it was the first time that Gong Li had worked on a project with Western participation. The Shanghai jewel also had American backing and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Cinematography. Every step Gong Li took brought her closer to the west. She was a countryman of yours, Wayne Wang( The Joy Luck Club ) who gave him the opportunity to work with Jeremy Irons –a Hollywood great– and Maggie Cheung –a Chinese star–, in The Chinese Box (1997). By then, Gong Li had broken up with Yimou and was in a relationship with business executive Ooi Wei Ming, whom she has been dating since 1996.

Wong Kar Wai chose Gong Li to star in 2046 . It was the year 2004 and the actress had the privilege of working with one of the most valued current film directors. There she met Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi , stars of Chinese cinema. Gong Li took her first steps in the movie mecca with Memoirs of a Geisha (2005). This Steven Spielberg production had Rob Marshall ( Chicago) as a director and three Oscars in recognition. Gong Li was the antagonist, that veteran geisha who feels a great rivalry towards the young Zhang Ziyi. The success of the project led to Li’s next job being in the United States. The change in style was huge, as she abandoned the intimacy of Yimou and Kar Wai to delve into the typical Hollywood blockbuster: Miami Vice (2006). Director Michael Mann cast her as the girlfriend of a mob boss who drives detective Colin Farell crazy. It is possible that the level of the tape is below others that Li made in her distant lands, but it is also true that nobody gives fame like Hollywood.

Currently, Gong Li has just finished shooting two films: Hannibal Rising and Curse of the Golden Flower . The first has been directed by Peter Webber  ( Girl with a Pearl Earring ) and tells of the youth of the murderer Hannibal Lecter; and the second is quite an event, since Li has returned to shoot with Zhang Yimou eleven years after their last film together and their breakup. To shoot this action and adventure film, the actress has returned to her homeland, perhaps in search of that oriental inspiration.