Did You Know That … ?
- In his 28-year career as a filmmaker, Li Hsing has produced 12 Taiwanese-language films, 2 documentaries, and 38 feature films.
- He often states that "I was born to make films,” despite his earlier aspirations to become an actor. He was rejected for many roles because his thin, long face did not match the aesthetics of the time, which led him to refocus his energy on behind-the-scene jobs such as directing.
- He made a conscious choice to stop directing films in 1986 to make way for a new generation of filmmakers. Since then, he refers to himself as a "volunteer” in Taiwan's film industry and spearheaded several initiatives, such as the annual Cross-Strait Film Festival (兩岸電影展).
More information on the filmmaker can be found here or scroll down for photographs.
1930 – 1949: Li first took an interest in theater and drama after watching a school play while he was studying in Shanghai.
1950 – 1957: After relocating to Taiwan, he worked as a stage performer, an actor, and director. He married his wife, Wang Wei-jean (王為瑾), in 1955.
1958 – 1963: His early days as a filmmaker were oriented towards producing Taiwanese-language films.
1963 – 1972: After transitioning to Mandarin-language films, he ventured into "wholesome realism" by making "Oyster Girl" and "Beautiful Duckling."
1963 – 1972: After transitioning to Mandarin-language films, he ventured into "wholesome realism" by making "Oyster Girl" and "Beautiful Duckling."
1973 – 1977: He also teamed up with noted female writer Chiung Yao and released several melodramas based on her novels.
1987 and onwards: Li now refers to himself as a "volunteer" in Taiwan's film industry and has made considerable progress in cross-strait film exchanges.