A pioneering study of the genesis and films of the fifth-generation of Chinese filmmakers who emerged in the 1980s with films of startling originality. The making and meanings of films such as Judou, Raise the Red Lantern, Farewell My Concubine are the central focus. Through this generation and its films changes in Chinese society over several decades are brought into vivid relief. Clark draws on interviews with directors, including Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige and Tian Zhuangzhuang, as well as less well-known figures.
