Yonggang Wu

Biography

Wu Yonggang was born in Shanghai in 1907, but was considered a native of his ancestral home Wu County, Jiangsu in Chinese convention. Wu Yonggang was one of the major leftist film directors of pre-Communist China. For the early part of his career, Wu was a set designer with Dazhonghua Baihe, before transferring to the Shaw Brothers' Tianyi Film Company. He was eventually noticed by Shi Dongshan at the newly formed Lianhua Film Company. His first film from the director's chair, 1934's The Goddess (under contract with Lianhua), earned both him and the film's star, Ruan Lingyu, rave reviews. A prolific director, Wu continued to make films well into the 1970s until his retirement shortly before his death including Evening Rain (co-directed with Wu Yigong) which won Best Picture at the first annual Golden Rooster Awards. Acclaimed director Chen Kaige referred to Wu Yonggang as one of his most admired directors, and named The Goddess as his favorite film of the 1930s.

Known for

Waves Washing the Sand

3 November 1936

Waves Washing the Sand

3 November 1936

Evening Rain

12 March 1980

Lin Chong, the Outlaw

Credits

Year	Movie / TV show / Other	Role
1980	Evening Rain	Director
1979	Third Sister Liu	Director
1962	The Jade Hairpin	Writer
1962	The Jade Hairpin	Director
1956	The Old Man and the Fairy	Director
1956	The Old Man and the Fairy	Writer
1955	哈森与加米拉	Director
1950	A Remote Village	Director
1941	Home	Director
1940	Yue Fei, A National Hero	Director
1940	Yue Fei, A National Hero	Writer
1939	Lin Chong, the Outlaw	Director
1938	Melancholy Hatred	Director
1938	Rouge Tears	Director
1936	Waves Washing the Sand	Director
1936	Waves Washing the Sand	Writer
1936	Soaring Aspirations	Director
1936	Soaring Aspirations	Writer
1935	Little Angel	Director
1934	The Goddess	Director
1934	The Goddess	Screenplay
1934	The Goddess	Set Designer