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EAST ASIAN CINEMA

East Asian cinema

East Asian cinema (sometimes called Far Eastern cinema, Eastern cinema, Asian cinema or Oriental cinema) is a term used to refer to the film industry and films produced in, and/or by natives of, East Asia. It can be seen as a sub-section of World cinema, a cover-all term used to describe any foreign language films.

The term East Asian cinema particularly refers to the large and well established film industries of China, Hong Kong and Japan, and the growing industries in Taiwan, North Korea and South Korea. By definition the term also includes any film production within all countries in this region including Mongolia, Vietnam and Macau.

The terms Far Eastern cinema, Asian cinema, Eastern cinema or Oriental cinema are sometimes used synonymously with East Asian cinema, particularly in the United States, although this is something of a misnomer, as it's even broader scope means it could equally apply to the movies produced throughout the rest of the continent, particularly the cinema of India including the enormous Bollywood film industry.

Contents

Styles and genres

The scope of East Asian cinema is huge and takes in a wide array of different film styles and genres. East Asian cinema is particularly famous in the West for:

Key figures of East Asian cinema

With the rise in popularity of East Asian cinema in the West, Western audiences are becoming more familiar with many of the industry's film-makers and stars. A number of these key players have "crossed over", working in Western films. Others gain exposure through the international success of their films, though many more retain more of a "cult" appeal, finding a degree of Western success through DVD sales rather than cinema releases.

As East Asian films have grown in popularity, members of the Western film industry have recognised the talents of their counterparts, citing them as influences (notably George Lucas citing Akira Kurosawa) and championing them (such as the growing number of Eastern films released with the endorsement "Quentin Tarantino Presents"). Furthermore, many Eastern films are being remade in Hollywood, which, though it may be considered cashing-in on the original films, or watering them down for a Western audience, it also serves to engender interest in the originals (notably the Ringu trilogy and other Japanese horrors. Some of the better known figures of East Asian cinema include:

Directors

China

Hong Kong

Japan

South Korea

Taiwan

Actors

See also