Taiwanese Cinematographer First Asian to Hold Retrospective at MoMA

Taiwanese cinematographer Mark Lee Ping-bing (李屏賓) has become the first Asian cinematographer to hold a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.

From June 16 to June 30, MoMA will screen 15 films shot by the award-winning cinematographer, including In the Mood for Love (2000), The Assassin (2015), and Crosscurrent (2016), which recently won a Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution at the 2016 Berlinale. This is also the North American preview of Crosscurrent.

“Luminosity: The Art of Cinematographer Mark Lee Ping-Bing” is Lee’s first American retrospective in his three-decade career. While 14 of the films in the exhibition feature the cinematographer’s work, Let the Wind Carry Me (2010) is a documentary that follows Lee through three years of his life on set, and will be screened on June 19.

During an interview in New York City, Lee said his solo exhibition at MoMA is “the highest honor in his life up to this point.”

The Taiwanese cinematographer is best known for his work with director Hou Hsiao-Hsien (侯孝賢), and the duo has produced 10 award-winning films. Lee has also collaborated with celebrated filmmakers such as Wong Kar Wai (王家衛) and Tran Anh Hung.

Lee’s use of light, shadow, and color along with his long-take shots has become the cinematographer’s mark. He is also one of the few cinematographers to still shoot on film today.

The full MoMA film screening schedule is available here.