Chen Kaige is a well-known and appreciated Chinese director who has also been successful as an actor (such as in the films Farewell My Concubine and The Last Emperor). Chen was born in Beijing in 1952 amidst much political turmoil. As a youth he was active in The Red Guards and eventually denounced his father, a decision that has since haunted him. Fortunately his creativity won over his political activism when he enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy, from which he graduated in 1982.

Chen is considered to be a Fifth Generation filmmaker; that is, a Chinese director who was one of the first to portray life in China since the Cultural Revolution from an unorthodox standpoint and which brought wide acclaim in the United States but were poorly received in China. The florid activity of these filmmakers came to a halt in 1989 after the disruptions in Tienamen Square.

He has distinguished himself for his directorial style, telling a story as if it were an epic while always paying attention to the visual effects. His first movie was Yellow Earth, released in 1984 and is considered one of his most famous and important films. He is most noted for a film that he not only acted in, but also directed: Farewell My Concubine in 1993 was nominated for two Academy Awards and also won the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival. He has since made other films depicting life in China but have been met with moderate success. His first Western film, the thriller, Killing Me Softly, starring Joseph Fiennes and Heather Graham, was not well-received.

Besides film making Chen has also tried his hand on music video directing, and has directed among others the video for the song Do You Believe In Shame? by Duran Duran in 1993.