Zhang Yimou Turns Green

Zhang Yimou recently won an award issued by the Chinese government for "following eco-friendly rules during movie shooting and highlighting green issues as the chief director for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in 2008."

I think what's particularly noteworthy in this article is its recounting of how Chen Kaige was nominated for the award as a "negative example" given the negative environmental consequences of his film "The Promise." Zhang's own selection probably can be viewed as an attempt to draw attention to the issue. Further, Zhang is probably seen as the lesser of several evils given that he also has been criticized for the environmental repercussions of his production "Impression West Lake" (see this article).

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