Truth behind Zhang Yimou's split with producer
- By Zhang Rui & Li Jingrong
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E-mail China.org.cn, March 19, 2015
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A family photo of Zhang Yimou [Photo/Sina.com] |
1. Tried to create a rift between Zhang Yimou and Gong Li
Zhang Yimou and Zhang Weiping met at a dinner party in 1989. Previously, the latter had been successively engaged in the aquaculture and fast food businesses. After Zhang Weiping met Zhang Yimou, he followed the latter into the film industry.
Actress Gong Li's collaboration with director Zhang Yimou has been highly publicized. Also in 1989, Gong and Zhang Weiping's wife were invited to attend a commercial event sponsored by Singaporean tobacco tycoon, Ooi Hoe Soeng, who later became Gong's husband. During the event, Ooi Hoe Soeng and Gong danced together out of social etiquette, an event which was later described as a "flirting cheek-to-cheek dance" by Zhang Weiping and his wife.
The event appeared to cause a grievance between Zhang Yimou and Gong. Zhang Weiping and his wife made a show of comforting Zhang Yimou while they secretly invented more stories to create a rift between the director and the actress. "That was the last straw that ended the relationship between Zhang Yimou and Gong Li," said Zhou Xiaofeng in her book.
Gong was extremely shocked when she learned the truth later, and she immediately broke off relations with the Zhang couple. In addition, she clearly stated her refusal to meet with Zhang Weiping and his wife in her contract for the film "Curse of the Golden Flower."
2. Significantly delayed payment for several of Zhang Yimou's films
Zhang Yimou didn't receive his payment for the films "Hero," "Ambush on All Sides," "Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles" and "Curse of the Golden Flower" from Zhang Weiping until 2008, when the film "A Simple Noodle Story" was completed. An investigation showed that his household income was only 2,760 yuan -- the basic wage of a worker at the Guangxi Film Studio -- in 2000, the year that would determine the financial penalty for having his first unregistered child.
Zhou Xiaofeng claims that from April 2010 to April 2011, Zhang Weiping's wife paid a total of 11.54 million yuan into the account of Zhang Yimou's wife, Chen Ting, in 12 payments for the five films spanning from "Hero" to "A Simple Noodle Story."
Zhang Yimou did not receive payment for the film "Under the Hawthorn Tree" either. "There was neither a contract signed nor a deadline established for the payment," said Pang Liwei, Zhang Yimou's assistant, adding, "They haven't paid, and Director Zhang feels too embarrassed to ask for the money."
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