The article considers the films of the popular Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, as a text of culture and in the context of the development of the Chinese film industry in today's global competition in the field of culture. The purpose of this article is to investigate the reasons for the popularity of Zhang Yimou's films both in China and abroad. With the help of a semiotic analysis of the cultural code and the functioning of ideology in the films under consideration, it was concluded that the success of Zhang Yimou's work was achieved due to different directorial strategies depending on the audience — Chinese and foreign. The article examines the use of cinematography as a tool of "soft power, with the help of which the famous Chinese director promotes world interest to the national history and culture, thereby implementing the state policy of revival China's authority on the international stage. Understanding the essence of culturally and socially important information encrypted with the help of cultural code in modern Chinese films is also important for improving effective intercultural communication skills.
Keywords:
Chinese cinema; Zhang Yimou; cultural code; traditional culture; ideology; national ideology; audience requests; strategy
