The stories told by a legend

Xie Jin was one of China's most prolific film directors. He made his directorial debut with Woman Basketball Player No. 5 (Nulan Wuhao) in 1957. The protagonist, an upright and strong-willed athlete, soon became a national icon.

The Red Detachment of Women (Hongse Niangzijun), made in 1961, was another of his important early works. The film depicted the liberation of a peasant girl in Hainan province and her rise through the ranks of the Chinese Communist Party. Critics say this film demonstrated the advancement of Xie's storytelling and character-building techniques.

In 1980, Xie completed a signature work, entitled Legend of Tianyun Mountain (Tianyunshan Chuanqi). The film focused on Chinese people's sufferings during the long-term political campaigns of "anti-rightists" from the 1950s until the end of the "cultural revolution" (1966-76).