Precursors of film A 5,200-year-old earthen bowl found in
Shahr-i Sokhta,
Iran, has five images of a goat painted along the sides. This is believed to be an example of early
animation.
Mo-Ti, a
Chinese philosopher circa 500 BC, pondered the phenomenon of inverted light from the outside world beaming through a small hole in the opposite wall in a darkened room.
Shadow plays first appeared during the
Han dynasty and later gain popularity across
Asia. Around 180 AD,
Ting Huan () created an elementary
zoetrope in China.
Silent film era (1890s–1920s) The first short films from Asia were produced during the 1890s. The first short films produced in Japan were
Bake Jizo (
Jizo the Spook) and
Shinin no Sosei (
Resurrection of a Corpse), both from 1898. The first Indian short film was also produced in 1898,
The Flower of Persia, directed by
Hiralal Sen. In the early 1900s,
Israeli silent movies were screened in sheds, cafes and other temporary structures. In 1905, Cafe Lorenz opened on Jaffa Road in the Jewish neighborhood of
Neve Tzedek. From 1909, the Lorenz family began screening movies at the cafe. In 1925, the Kessem Cinema was housed there for a short time. The first East Asian
feature film was Japan's
The Life Story of Tasuke Shiobara (1912). It was followed by India's first feature-length silent film, the
period piece drama
Raja Harishchandra (1913), by
Dadasaheb Phalke, considered the father of
Indian cinema. By the next decade, the output of Indian cinema was an average of 27 films per year. In the 1920s, the newborn
Soviet cinema was the most radically innovative. There, the craft of editing, especially, surged forward, going beyond its previous role in advancing a story.
Sergei Eisenstein perfected the technique of so-called
dialectical or intellectual montage, which strove to make
non-linear, often violently clashing, images express ideas and provoke emotional and intellectual reactions in the viewer.
Early sound era (1930s) Sound films began being produced in Asia from the 1930s. Notable early talkies from the
cinema of Japan included Kenji Mizoguchi's
Sisters of the Gion (
Gion no shimai, 1936),
Osaka Elegy (1936) and
The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums (1939), along with
Sadao Yamanaka's
Humanity and Paper Balloons (1937) and
Mikio Naruse's
Wife, Be Like A Rose! (
Tsuma Yo Bara No Yoni, 1935), which was one of the first Japanese films to gain a theatrical release in the U.S. However, with increasing censorship, the left-leaning
tendency films of directors such as Daisuke Ito also began to come under attack. A few Japanese sound shorts were made in the 1920s and 1930s, but Japan's first feature-length talkie was
Fujiwara Yoshie no furusato (1930), which used the 'Mina Talkie System'. In 1935,
Yasujirō Ozu also directed
An Inn in Tokyo, considered a precursor to the
neorealism genre.
Ardeshir Irani released
Alam Ara, the first Indian talking film, on March 14, 1931. Following the inception of 'talkies' in India some film stars were highly sought after and earned comfortable incomes through acting. As sound technology advanced the 1930s saw the rise of music in Indian cinema with musicals such as
Indra Sabha and
Devi Devyani marking the beginning of song-and-dance in India's films. Studios emerged across major cities such as
Chennai,
Kolkata and
Mumbai as filmmaking became an established craft by 1935, exemplified by the success of
Devdas, which had managed to enthrall audiences nationwide.
Golden Age (1940s–1960s) Following the end of
World War II by the mid-1940s, the period from the late 1940s to the 1960s is considered the 'Golden Age' of Asian cinema. Many of the most critically acclaimed Asian films of all time were produced during this period, including
Yasujirō Ozu's
Late Spring (1949) and
Tokyo Story (1953);
Akira Kurosawa's
Rashomon (1950),
Ikiru (1952),
Seven Samurai (1954) and
Throne of Blood (1957);
Kenji Mizoguchi's
The Life of Oharu (1952),
Sansho the Bailiff (1954) and
Ugetsu (1954);
Satyajit Ray's
The Apu Trilogy (1955–1959),
The Music Room (1958) and
Charulata (1964);
Guru Dutt's
Pyaasa (1957) and
Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959); and
Fei Mu's
Spring in a Small Town (1948),
Raj Kapoor's
Awaara (1951),
Mikio Naruse's
Floating Clouds (1955),
Mehboob Khan's
Mother India (1957), and
Ritwik Ghatak's
Subarnarekha (1962). These films have had a profound influence on world cinema. In particular, Kurosawa's
Seven Samurai has been remade several times as
Western films, such as
The Magnificent Seven (1960) and
Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), and has also inspired several
Bollywood films, such as
Sholay (1975) and
China Gate (1998).
Rashomon was also remade as
The Outrage (1964), and inspired films with "
Rashomon effect" storytelling methods, such as
Andha Naal (1954),
The Usual Suspects (1995) and
Hero (2002).
The Hidden Fortress was also the inspiration behind
George Lucas'
Star Wars (1977). The
Japanese New Wave began in the late 1950s and continued into the 1960s. Other famous Japanese filmmakers from this period include
Kenji Mizoguchi,
Mikio Naruse,
Hiroshi Inagaki and
Nagisa Oshima.
Martin Scorsese,
James Ivory,
Abbas Kiarostami,
Elia Kazan,
François Truffaut,
Steven Spielberg,
Carlos Saura,
Jean-Luc Godard,
Isao Takahata,
Gregory Nava,
Ira Sachs,
Wes Anderson and
Danny Boyle being influenced by his cinematic style. According to Michael Sragow of
The Atlantic Monthly, the "youthful
coming-of-age dramas that have flooded art houses since the mid-fifties owe a tremendous debt to the Apu trilogy".
Subrata Mitra's cinematographic technique of
bounce lighting also originates from
The Apu Trilogy. Satyajit Ray's success led to the establishment of the
Parallel Cinema movement, which was at its peak during the 1950s and 1960s. Other famous Indian filmmakers from this period include
Guru Dutt, The
cinema of China experienced a 'Golden Age' in the late 1940s. In 1946, Cai Chusheng returned to Shanghai to revive the Lianhua name as the "Lianhua Film Society." This in turn became Kunlun Studios which would go on to become one of the most important Chinese studios of the era, putting out the classics,
Myriads of Lights (1948),
The Spring River Flows East (1947), and
Crows and Sparrows (1949). Wenhua's romantic drama
Spring in a Small Town (1948), a film by director
Fei Mu shortly prior to the revolution, is often regarded by Chinese film critics as one of the most important films in the history of Chinese cinema, with it being named by the
Hong Kong Film Awards in 2004 as the greatest Chinese-language film ever made. The
cinema of Malaysia also had its 'Golden Age' in the post-war period of the 1950s and 1960s. The period saw the introduction of the studio system of filmmaking in Malaysia and influx of influences from
Hollywood, the emerging
cinema of Hong Kong, and particularly the Indian and Japanese film industries which were themselves experiencing a Golden Age. The late 1950s and 1960s was also a 'Golden Age' for
Philippine cinema, with the emergence of more artistic and mature films, and significant improvement in cinematic techniques among filmmakers. The studio system produced frenetic activity in the local film industry as many films were made annually and several local talents started to earn recognition abroad. The premiere Philippine directors of the era included
Gerardo de Leon,
Gregorio Fernandez,
Eddie Romero,
Lamberto Avellana, and
Cirio Santiago. The
cinema of South Korea also experienced a 'Golden Age' in the late 1950s and 1960s, beginning with director Lee Kyu-hwan's tremendously successful remake of
Chunhyang-jon (1955). That year also saw the release of
Yangsan Province by the renowned director,
Kim Ki-young, marking the beginning of his productive career. Both the quality and quantity of filmmaking had increased rapidly by the end of the 1950s. South Korean films, such as Lee Byeong-il's 1956 comedy
Sijibganeun nal (The Wedding Day), had begun winning international awards. In contrast to the beginning of the 1950s, when only 5 movies were made per year, 111 films were produced in South Korea in 1959. The year 1960 saw the production of Kim Ki-young's
The Housemaid and
Yu Hyun-mok's
Aimless Bullet, both of which have been listed among the best Korean films ever made. The 1960s is often cited as being the 'golden age' of
Pakistani cinema. Many A-stars were introduced in this period in time and became legends on the
silver screen. As black-and-white became obsolete, Pakistan saw the introduction of its first colour films, the first being Munshi Dil's
Azra in 1962, Zahir Rehan's
Sangam (first full-length coloured film) in 1964, and
Mala (first coloured cinemascope film). In 1961, the political film
Bombay Wala was released, based on the city of Bombay in neighbouring India, in the wake of the growing tension between the nations. In 1962,
Shaheed (
Martyr) pronounced the
Palestine issue on the silver screen and became an instant hit, leading to a changing tide in the attitude of filmmakers. The 1960s was the "golden age" of
Cambodian cinema. Several production companies were started and more movie theaters were built throughout the country. More than 300 movies were made in Cambodia during the era. A number of
Khmer language films were well received in neighbouring countries at the time. Among the classic films from
Cambodia during this period were
Lea Haey Duong Dara (
Goodbye Duong Dara) and
Pos Keng Kang (''The Snake King's Wife
) by Tea Lim Kun and Sabbseth, and An Euil Srey An (Khmer After Angkor'') by Ly Bun Yim.
Modern Asian cinema (1970s–present) By the late 1960s and early 1970s,
Japanese cinema had begun to become seriously affected by the collapse of the studio system. As Japanese cinema slipped into a period of relative low visibility, the cinema of Hong Kong entered a dramatic renaissance of its own, largely a side effect of the development of the
wuxia blending of action, history, and spiritual concerns. Several major figures emerged in Hong Kong at this time, including
King Hu, whose 1966
Come Drink With Me was a key influence upon many subsequent Hong Kong cinematic developments. Shortly thereafter, the American-born
Bruce Lee became a global icon in the 1970s. From 1969 onwards, the
Iranian New Wave led to the growth of
Iranian cinema, which would later go on to achieve international acclaim in the 1980s and 1990s. The most notable figures of the Iranian New Wave are
Abbas Kiarostami,
Jafar Panahi,
Majid Majidi,
Bahram Beizai,
Darius Mehrjui,
Mohsen Makhmalbaf,
Masoud Kimiay,
Sohrab Shahid-Saless,
Parviz Kimiavi,
Samira Makhmalbaf,
Amir Naderi, and
Abolfazl Jalili. Features of New Wave Iranian film, in particular the works of Kiarostami, have been classified by some as
postmodern. The 1970s also saw the establishment of
Bangladeshi cinema following the
country's independence in 1971. One of the first films produced in
Bangladesh after independence was
Titash Ekti Nadir Naam (
A River Called Titas) in 1973 by acclaimed director
Ritwik Ghatak, whose stature in
Bengali cinema is comparable to that of
Satyajit Ray and
Mrinal Sen. Another great film of Bangladesh is Mita's 'Lathial' (The striker), were the best movies of the year of 1975. 'Lathial' got first National Award as the best film, and mita got first National Award as best director. In the
cinema of India, the 1970s saw a decline in '
Parallel Cinema' and the rise of commercial
Hindi cinema in the form of enduring
masala films, a genre largely pioneered by screenwriter duo
Salim–Javed, with films such as the
Mumbai underworld crime drama
Deewaar (1975) and the film
Sholay (1975), which solidified
Amitabh Bachchan's position as a lead actor. Commercial cinema further grew throughout the 1980s and the 1990s with the release of films such as
Mr. India (1987),
Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988),
Tezaab (1988),
Chandni (1989),
Maine Pyar Kiya (1989),
Baazigar (1993),
Darr (1993),
Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994) and
Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995). By this time, the term "
Bollywood" was coined to refer to the
Hindi-language
Bombay (now Mumbai) film industry. By the early 2020s,
S. S. Rajamouli's epic duology
Baahubali, and alternate history film
RRR received the
American Saturn Award nominations in various categories, the only Indian films to have garnered the honors. Rajamouli's success played a role in the broader growth of the
South Indian film industries, which now are on par with Bollywood films in terms of box office revenue. 's cast and crew including actors
Rajinikanth,
Akshay Kumar,
Amy Jackson, director
S. Shankar, producer
Allirajah Subaskaran and music director
A. R. Rahman During the 1980s, Japanese cinema – aided by the rise of independent filmmaking and the spectacular success of
anime – began to make something of an international comeback. Simultaneously, a new post-
Mao Zedong generation of
Chinese filmmakers began to gain global attention. Another group of filmmakers, centered around
Edward Yang and
Hou Hsiao-hsien, launched what has become known as the "Taiwanese New Wave". The 1980s is also considered the Golden Age of
Hong Kong action cinema.
Jackie Chan reinvented the
martial arts film genre with a new emphasis on elaborate and dangerous stunts and slapstick humour, beginning with
Project A (1983).
John Woo began the "
heroic bloodshed" genre based on
triads, beginning with
A Better Tomorrow (1986). The
Hong Kong New Wave also occurred during this period, led by filmmakers such as
Tsui Hark. With the post-1980 rise in popularity of East Asian cinema in the West, Western audiences are again becoming familiar with many of the industry's filmmakers and stars. A number of these key players, such as
Chow Yun-fat and
Zhang Ziyi, have "crossed over", working in Western films. Others have gained 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. In the modern era,
Israeli cinema has seen a wave of success in the 21st century, with several Israeli films winning awards in film festivals around the world. Prominent films of this period include
Late Marriage (
Dover Koshashvili),
Broken Wings,
Walk on Water and
Yossi & Jagger (
Eytan Fox), ''
Nina's Tragedies, Campfire and Beaufort (Joseph Cedar), Or (My Treasure) (Keren Yedaya), Turn Left at the End of the World (Avi Nesher), The Band's Visit (Eran Kolirin) Waltz With Bashir (Ari Folman), and Ajami''. In 2011,
Strangers No More won the Oscar for best Short Documentary. In 2020, the South Korean film
Parasite become the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for
Best Picture at the
92nd Academy Awards. == Events ==