Zheng Junli

Zheng Junli was born in Shanghai on 6 December 1911. He was born Sun Yiliang 孙以亮 into a family of four children. His father Sun Wenyao (孫文耀) was trained as railroad engineer in Brussels, Belgium. His mother Fan Nianhua (范念华) and father both are originally from Jiashan County, Zhejiang. He along with all his siblings learned to speak English since grade school. He attended Yenching University, but his studies in philosophy were interrupted by the May Fourth Movement. He joined the New Culture Movement and became a supporter of the Communist Party of China. He also translated, directed, and acted in The Rising of the Moon, a play by the Irish dramatist Lady Gregory. It was the first Chinese production of the play. He also sent the play to George Bernard Shaw to express his admiration and received a reply that encouraged him to be creative and original. He began his film career in 1926, when he joined the Mingxing Film Company as a scriptwriter. He wrote scripts for several films, such as The Orphan Rescues Grandfather, The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple, and The Goddess. He also directed his first film, A Lonely Woman, in 1927. He later joined the Lianhua Film Company and directed several films, such as Crows and Sparrows (1947), The Spring River Flows East (1947), and The Life of Wu Xun (1950). He was known for his progressive and realistic filmmaking and writing, and his patriotic and anti-imperialist themes. He was one of the most popular and respected filmmakers in China, and won several awards and honors for his works. After the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, Zheng moved to Hong Kong and then to Chongqing, where he continued to make films that supported the resistance against Japanese invasion. He also collaborated with other filmmakers, such as Shi Dongshan, Cai Chusheng, and Sun Yu, who were among the most prominent film directors and screenwriters in pre-Communist China. He also wrote books on film theory and drama criticism. He was a pioneer in film art and culture, and a master of social commentary and human drama. ² After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Zheng continued to work in the film industry, serving as the vice president of the China Film Association and the director of the Beijing Film Studio. He also led delegations to international film festivals and made significant efforts in film education and popularization. He directed several films in the 1950s and 1960s, such as Waves on the South China Sea (1963), which won the Best Feature Film Award at the 3rd Hundred Flowers Awards. ² However, Zheng's career and life were tragically cut short by the Cultural Revolution, which began in 1966. He was denounced as a "rightist" and a "counter-revolutionary" by the Red Guards, who ransacked his home and confiscated his belongings. He was subjected to public humiliation and torture, and was forced to write self-criticisms. He suffered from severe physical and mental stress, and contracted lung cancer. He died on 23 April 1969, in prison. His wife, actress Chen Bo'er, and his son were also persecuted during the same period. ² Zheng Junli was one of the most influential and innovative filmmakers and playwrights in Chinese cinema and drama history. He was a pioneer in progressive and realistic filmmaking and writing, and a master of social commentary and human drama. He created milestone films and plays that reflected the conflicts of human nature and destiny, demonstrating a profound artistic vision and cultural awareness. His works have been widely praised and studied by critics and scholars, and have inspired generations of filmmakers and audiences. He was also a patriot who championed the resistance against Japanese invasion and the liberation of China. He was posthumously rehabilitated in 1978, and received several honors and awards for his contributions to Chinese film and drama art.