Zhang Tianmin (screenwriter)
Zhang Tianmin | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Chinese: 张天民 |
| Born | July 12, 1933 Zhuozhou, Hebei, China |
| Died | March 16, 2002 (aged 68) Beijing, China |
| Occupation | Writer, screenwriter |
| Alma mater | Beijing Film Academy |
| Notable works | The Friends by the Seaside, Entrepreneurship, Warriors Pass Through the Minefield, The Birth of New China, The Decisive Engagement |
| Notable awards | 10th Golden Rooster Award for Best Screenwriter |
Zhang Tianmin (Chinese: 张天民; July 12, 1933 – March 16, 2002) was a Chinese writer and screenwriter. A graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, he was best known for his literary works and his contributions to Chinese cinema, including the award-winning historical film The Birth of New China.[1][2]
Biography
Zhang was born in Zhuozhou, Hebei Province, in 1933. In 1952, he entered the screenwriting program at the Beijing Film Academy and graduated in 1954, joining the Scriptwriting Institute of the Central Film Bureau. He later worked as a screenwriter at the Changchun Film Studio.[3]
In 1957, Zhang published his first novella, The Friends by the Seaside, and the poetry collection Northern Walks. In 1960, he published July Lyric Poems. During the 1970s, he contributed to several films, including serving as screenwriter for Entrepreneurship (1974) and Hope (1977). He also published the novel version of Entrepreneurship in 1977, the same year he joined the China Writers Association.[3]
In 1979, his short story Warriors Pass Through the Minefield won the National Outstanding Short Story Award and the award from the General Political Department. He continued to publish collections such as Blue and Green (1979) and The Story of Xiao Wugeng (1980), while also writing screenplays for films including Be Proud, Mother! (1980) and May All Men Live Long (1981).[4]
From the early 1980s, Zhang worked with the Beijing Film Studio and published both fiction and screenplays, including The Last-Class Actor (1983), The Flower Chaser (1984), and The Story of the Huo Family (1985). In 1987, he even appeared in Bernardo Bertolucci’s film The Last Emperor.[5]
Zhang's most notable success came in 1989, when he co-wrote the historical film The Birth of New China. The film earned him the Best Screenwriter Award at the 10th Golden Rooster Awards.[6] In the 1990s, he continued to work on film and television, including the script Pan Hannian: Master of Espionage (1996) and the war drama The Decisive Engagement (1999).[7]
He also published works such as Selected Screenplays of Zhang Tianmin (1983) and the four-volume set Zhang Tianmin’s Film and Television Literary Masterpieces (2002). After his death, posthumous publications included the novels Young Mao Zedong (2003) and Qin Shi Huang (2003).[8]
Zhang Tianmin died of liver cancer in Beijing on March 16, 2002, at the age of 69.[9]
References
- ^ 中国电影年鉴 (in Chinese). 中国电影出版社. 2005. p. 33. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
- ^ Cheng, Jim (2004-10-01). An Annotated Bibliography of Chinese Film Studies: Protestant Burials in Macao (in Chinese). Hong Kong University Press. p. 259. ISBN 978-962-209-703-2. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
- ^ a b 古今涿州志要 (in Chinese). 新华出版社. 1990. p. 237. ISBN 978-7-5011-0781-0. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
- ^ 毛泽东与河北 (in Chinese). 河北人民出版社. 2006. p. 266. ISBN 978-7-202-04280-9. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
- ^ 赵晖 (2008). 史诗性电视剧画面叙事的艺术追求 (in Chinese). 中国电影出版社. p. 267. ISBN 978-7-106-02977-7. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
- ^ 电影、电视艺术硏究 (in Chinese). 中国人民大学书报资料中心. 1997. p. 10. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
- ^ 王学礼 (2020-07-19). 孙谦的如影人生 (in Chinese). Remembering Publishing, LLC. p. 381. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
- ^ 中国文学理论批评文选: 2003卷 (in Chinese). 作家出版社. 2004. p. 507. ISBN 978-7-5063-2898-2. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
- ^ "44年前首届中国电影金鸡奖25位评委只有一人在世". sohu.com (in Chinese). 2025-03-12. Retrieved 2025-09-23.