Tang Danian (1968-)

Born in 1968 in Beijing, Tang Danian was the youngest in the “Class of 1985” of the Beijing Film Academy. Fond of literature when he was a teenager, Tang Danian didn’t want to be a filmmaker until his BFA parents asked him to take the BFA exam. In 1985, Tang was admitted to the Scriptwriting Department of BFA, and graduated from there in 1989. Tang’s writing talent was first shown in Good Morning, Beijing (1990), a film he was credited as the sole scriptwriter. His career as a scriptwriter was further polished as Tang began to work with his former classmates, writing scripts for such acclaimed films as Zhang Yuan’s Beijing Bastards (he also played a role in the film) and Wang Xiaoshuai’s Beijing Bicycle. Tang also won an International Script Award at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival for Crazy Guy, although it was never made into a film.

Tang’s directorial debut City Paradise was shot without a government permission and its post-production was finished on the editing table of a U.S. university. Automatically categorized as an “underground” film, City Paradise depicts a bleak picture of Beijing, a post-socialist metropolis that alienates both migrants and local residents. Since City Paradise, Tang Danian has been actively involved in directing and writing for television dramas. He also co-wrote the script of Zhang Yuan’s 2003 feature Green Tea.

Tang Danian Filmography:

City Paradise (Du shi tian tang), 1998.