Born in 1965 in China, Screenwriter/Director Ye Lou is known as one of the ‘Sixth Generation’ Directors of Chinese cinema. Emerging from the Beijing Film Academy with his film ‘Weekend Lover.’

Gaining international recognition with his second, neo-noir film ‘Suzhou River’ which proved controversial on it’s release at home in China due to it’s questioning of identity. He has been regularly compared to Alfred Hitchcock but his films are far more directly political and challenging to the status quo than Hitchcock’s masterpieces were.

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 is still banned (with Lou receiving a 2-year ban from filmmaking).

He Later submitted his later film ‘Summer Palace’ to the 2006 Cannes Film Festival without approval from Chinese censors, and was banned from film-making again, this time for five years.

2014 sees his ‘Blind Massage’ nominated for Best Cinematography at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, and a return to full power as a filmmaker.

Filmography

1995 Weekend Lover 周末情人 – Werner Fassbinder Award for Best Direction at the 1996 Mannheim-Heidelberg Film Festival
2000 Suzhou River 苏州河 Tiger Award at the 1999 International Film Festival Rotterdam
2001 “In Shanghai” 在上海 – Short
2003 Purple Butterfly 紫蝴蝶
2006 Summer Palace 頤和園
2009 Spring Fever 春风沉醉的晚上 – Prix du scénario award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival
2011 Love and Bruises 花
2012 Mystery 浮城谜事
2014 Blind Massage 推拿