Zhang Yimou — Chinese Director born on November 14, 1950,

Zhang Yimou is a Chinese film director, producer, writer and actor, and former cinematographer. He is counted amongst the Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers, having made his directorial debut in 1987 with Red Sorghum... (wikipedia)

Under the big political umbrella, a man is just like a leaf in the ocean, with no control of his destiny and does not have any choice.
Piracy has destroyed the domestic market.
Only people have been through that miserable time will recall the pass from their deep memory.
Now a movie with 30 million returns would be something very incredible and the producer can only get 10 to 15 million. This is only 100 thousands US dollars. This is not enough!
To do art, one thing should always remember - subjects of people in misery have deep meanings.