Wang Ping

August 31, 1916

Ping Wang is a Chinese film director and actress. She is considered to be the first female director in the People's Republic of China. Leftist womens' liberation became a major influence early in her life and she was a long time supporter of the communist revolution. Her work was financially supported by the state, which provided her with significant access to filmic resources, allowing her to learn the techniques of filmmaking through practice and experiment with film form. She became a respected and influential director. Because gender equality was a significant part of the Communist Party’s plan for economic reform, the following two decades would see a rise in the number of female directors in China.