Raising The Lantern: A Celebration of Chinese-Language Cinema

Zhang Ziyi, Ang Lee, and Janet Yang discuss the journey of making Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon during the film's 25th anniversary celebration at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on May 9, 2025.

This series, guest programmed by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Janet Yang, spotlights Chinese-language films that were submitted to the Oscars’ International Feature Film category over the last thirty-five years.

Growing up in New York, the daughter of immigrants, my love of movies did not translate into an obvious career path. Curiosity about my ancestry propelled me to live in China after college. While there, I saw movies made by and about people who looked like me. This glimpse of Chinese cinema provided my portal into the industry.

My first job was distributing Chinese films in the United States. I saw how movies transcended national divides. I experienced this again when selling US films to China. Being the rare person in Hollywood who had some understanding of the local film industry led me to working in Shanghai on Steven Spielberg’s epic movie Empire of the Sun (1987). Getting a bird’s-eye view of this master filmmaker was how I finally discovered what I wanted to be when I grew up.

I am indebted to the Chinese movies that inspired me, hence my desire to celebrate a selection of them at our Academy Museum. I am confident these screenings in our beautiful theaters will offer many opportunities to build community through our shared love of cinema.