The Scriptwriter

Zhang Xiaotian 张笑天
Zhang Xiaotian is one of the most prolific writers of film scripts on historical subjects in China, very often collaborating with the directing couple Li Qiankuan and Xiao Guiyun. Born in 1939 in Heilongjiang province, he graduated from the history department of Northeast Normal University (东北师范大学). Being the son of a teacher, he used to read literary works very early, and soon started to write himself. When he was 12 years old, he won his first writing competition. In 1961, the same year he graduated from university, he started publishing his work on a regular basis. However, some of his works did not meet with approval and for some time he was even labelled a “counter-revolutionary”. He did not stop writing, though, even during the period of the Cultural Revolution when he was assigned to work as a teacher in a middle school in the countryside. He was rehabilitated and on the invitation of the Changchun Film Studios, in 1975 his own novel “Brant sing at the lakeshore“ (Yan ming hu pan 雁鸣湖畔) was turned into a film and he was to write his first film script. Therewith he entered the film business. After four years in the Film Studios he became member of the regional propaganda department. Shortly after, Zhang Xiaotian started to cooperate on a regular basis with the film directing couple Li Qiankuan and Xiao Guiyun. The productions “Peijian jiangjun” 1981, “Huanghe zhi bin” 1986, "Kaiguo dadian" 1989, “Chongqing Tanpan” 1993, “Shiji zhi meng” 1998, “Taiping tianguo” 1999 and “Chuanqi huangdi Zhu Yuanzhang” 2006, are all examples of their teamwork.

Since the novel “Brant Sing at the Lake Shore” in 1973, Zhang has published twenty novels, fifty-two novellas, forty film scripts, and many short stories and scripts for TV series. The main topics of his scripts are related to history, while most of his short stories are focusing on the lives of ordinary people.
His important works include: TV series:

• “High Waves at the River” (Lang juan da jiang 浪卷大江)
• “Cultural Circle” (Wenhua juan 文化圈)
• “A Red Sailing Boat” (Hong fanchuan 红帆船)
• “The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom” (Taiping tianguo 太平天国)
• “Sun Yatsen” (Sun Zhongshan 孙中山)

• “She Came From the Mist” (Ta cong wuzhong lai 她从雾中来), 1981
• “The Last Empress” (Modai huanghou 末代皇后), 1986
• “The Birth of New China” (Kaiguo dadian 开国大典), 1989
• “The Heroine in the Northeast” (Guan dong nü xia 关东女侠), 1989
• “Chongqing Negotiations” (Chongqing Tanpan 重庆谈判), 1993
• “White Mountain and Black Water” (Baishan, heishui 白山黑水), 1997
• “The Story of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang” (Chuanqi huangdi Zhu Yuanzhang 传奇皇帝朱元璋), 2006

• “Brant Sing at the Lake Shore“ (yan ming hu pan 雁鸣湖畔)
• “Difficult Process” (yanjun de licheng 严峻的历程)
• “Come Back, Roland” (guilai ba, luolan 归来吧，罗兰)
• “Funeral of Love” (Ai de zangli 爱的葬礼)
• “Dream of the Zhongzheng Sword” (Zhongzheng jiang zhi meng 中正剑之梦)
• “Yongning Monument” (Yongning bei 永宁碑)

Zhang’s novels and scripts are not only known in China, but also in Europe. Many of his scripts and novels were given official Chinese awards and once also an international award: For his short novel, “Day and Night of the Former Secretary of the Party Committee of the City“ (Qian shiwei shuji de baizhou he yewan 前市委书记的 白昼和夜晚), he won the national novel award (disi jie quanguo youxiu zhongpianxiaoshuo jiang 第四届全国优秀中篇小说奖). For the script of the TV series, “The Taiping heavenly kingdom,” he was awarded with the Chinese TV “Flying Apsaras Award” (Fei tian jiang 飞天奖). For his movie scripts of "Kaiguo dadian", Zhang was awarded the “Golden Rooster Award”. For “Chongqing Tanpan” he won the second rating award in a national script contest (quanguo juben zhengwen er deng jiang 全国剧本征文二౔), and at the Changchun Film Festival even the award for the best script. For “Baishan heishui”, he won the “Xia Yan Film and Literature Award” (Xia yan dianying wenxuejiang 夏衍电影文学奖). At the 4th International Film Festival in Paris, he received his first international award for “The last empress” (Modai huanghou 末代皇后). His “Century Dream” (Shiji zhi meng 世纪之梦) won the “Stele Award” (Hua biao jiang 华表奖), the Chinese government film award by the Ministry of Culture.

Zhang is not only an author and scriptwriter, but is also involved in several cultural institutions. He holds many important positions, including:

• Vice director of the Changchun Film Studios (Chang ying chang fu chang zhang 长影厂副厂长)
• Board member of the “Chinese Film Association” (Zhongguo dianyingjia xiehui lishi 中国电影家协会理事)
• Vice chairman of the “Chinese Writers Association in Jilin Province” (Zhongguo zuojia xiehui jilin fenhui fu zhuxi 中国作家协会吉林分会副主席)
• Vice chairman of the “Jilin Television Artists Association” (Jilin dianshi yishuja xiehui fu zhuxi 吉林电视艺术家协会副主席)
• Vice director of the “Chinese Scripter [sic!] Union” (Zhongguo dianying wenxue xuehui fu huizhang 中国电影文学学会副会长)

Zhang is considered a great writer by the CCP, the Chinese press, and by many in the field of literature and film. He has been also controversial at times, however. One of his scripts, named “Bright Moon Rising from Mount Tian” (Ming yue chu tianshan 明月出天山), was rejected by the authorities. Zhang, being extremely prolific, has also been accused several times of massive plagiarism.

The script for the film “Chongqing Tanpan” is based on a novel with the same title (published shortly before) by the young writer Huang Jiren 黄济人 which appeared in the PR China in 1992 but soon also in Taiwan.