Peng Xiaolian

(1953 - 2019)

Peng Xiaolian (simplified Chinese: 彭小莲; traditional Chinese: 彭小蓮; born 1953) is a Chinese film director, scriptwriter and author. A graduate of the 1982 class of the Beijing Film Academy, she is a member of the so-called Fifth Generation, although her style differs from the other members of this group. Upon graduation from Beijing Film Academy in 1982, Peng was assigned to work in Shanghai Film Studio, where she first worked as an assistant director. Only three years later, she was given a teenage film Me and My Classmate to direct. The film was a success and snatched several top awards in China. As a reward, she was a given a chance to direct a film that she had wanted to direct: Women's Story (1988). This film made her known to the world, not only by entering festivals like The Creteil Women's International Film Festival and Hawaii International Film Festival, but also praised for its strong feminine subjectivity and its portrayal of rural Chinese women.