CROSS-CULTURAL CINEMA
At the close of the 20th century, Chinese cinema broke through the boundaries of the Chinese-speaking world. The change has been dramatic. Even at beginning of the 1990s, Westerners would have been hard pressed to name a Chinese film-maker or actor, with the possible exception of kung-fu cult hero Bruce Lee. In Hollywood, the world mecca of film, Asian role had remained largely stereotyped or negligible since the day of silent film, and only an occasional actor like Anna May Wong or Nancy Kwan gained the status of star. Today, actor Jackie Chan and Gong Li, both based in Asia, and directors Ang Lee ('Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' 'Brokeback Mountain') and John Woo ('Face Off') both based in the United States, are not only internationally renowned, the are box office draws.