Director Wu Tianming dies of heart attack at 75

Director Wu Tianming passed away on Tuesday morning at the age of 75 after a heart attack.

Wu Tianming, considered one of the leading "Fourth Generation" directors in China, and known for having Zhang Yimou and Gu Changwei as two of his protégées, passed away on Tuesday morning at the age of 75 after a heart attack.

Wu was one of the most important figures in the Chinese film industry from the 1980s. After graduating from the China Film Academy in 1976, he emerged onto the film scene with "Reverberations of Life" and "River Without Buoys".

His first major success came when his 1984 film "Life" won the best picture in China's Hundred Flowers Film Awards. His 1987 film "The Old Well", portraying countryside life and starring a young Zhang Yimou, went on to win a slew of trophies including Best Picture at the Toyko International Film Awards. And his film "The King of Masks" won huge public and critical acclaim in 1994.