Zhao Tao

Acting Jan 28, 1977 (49 years old) Taiyuan - Shanxi - China

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Zhao Tao (Chinese: 赵涛, born 28 January 1977) is a famous Chinese actress, work in China and Europe, she has over 10 films to her credit since starting her career in 1999, muse of director Jia Zhangke. Zhao first came into international prominence through close collaboration with Chinese director Jia Zhangke and is credited with helping to bring Chinese cinema to Europe, especially Italy. As Shun Li in Io sono Li, her best starring role to date, she became the first Asian actress to win a prize at David di Donatello. Zhao's native language is Jinese, but she is multilingual, having learned to speak Italian, Mandarin and Szechuanese.

Biography

She was born January 28, 1977, in Taiyuan, Shanxi, which is also the hometown of the heroine in Still Life. As a child, she studied classical Chinese dance. In 1996, she enrolled in the folk dance department at Beijing Dance Academy. After graduation, she became a dance teacher in Taiyuan Normal College, where she was spotted by Jia during casting for Platform. Since then they work frequently together.

In 2011 she starred in the Italian movie Shun Li and the Poet by Andrea Segre, the movie was screened in the Venice Days section of the 68th Venice International Film Festival.

Zhao won the David di Donatello Award, the Italian Oscar, for Best Actress for her bilingual role.

25 Acting Credits

4 Crew Credits

Zhao Tao

Acting

A Touch of Sin

Ash Is Purest White

Mountains May Depart

Still Life

Platform

The World

Shun Li and the Poet

24 City

Unknown Pleasures

Caught by the Tides

I Wish I Knew

Jia Zhangke, A Guy from Fenyang

Cry Me a River

Walking on the Wild Side

Smog Journeys

Where Has Time Gone?

Black Breakfast

Our Ten Years

3.11 A Sense of Home Films

Ten Thousand Waves

Revive

Remembrance

Living

Mamma Dunhuang

Crew

Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue

The Hedonists

Useless

Love is All