Bing Liu (filmmaker): Difference between revisions

| death_place =

| occupation = CinematographerDirector, directorcinematographer

| years_active = 2012–present2012–present

'''Bing Liu''' (born 1989)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2018/08/27/an-interview-with-bing-liu-about-his-powerful-documentary-minding-the-gap|title=An interview with Bing Liu about his powerful documentary Minding the Gap|last=Sachs|first=Ben|date=August 27, 2018 |website=Chicago Reader|language=en|access-date=2019-02-19}}</ref> is a Chinese -American director and cinematographer. He is best known for directing the documentary ''[[Minding the Gap]]'', which was nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature|Best Documentary Feature]] at the [[91st Academy Awards]].<ref name="vulture-021919">{{cite web |last1=Jung |first1=E. Alex |date=February 19, 2019 |title=Oscar-Nominated Minding the Gap Director Bing Liu on America’sAmerica's Masculinity Crisi |url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/02/bing-liu-interview-on-oscar-nominated-documentary-minding-the-gap.html |website=Vulture |accessdate=19 February 2019}}</ref>

Liu was born in China.<ref name="vulture-021919" /> His family moved to the United States when he was five and soon after his parents got divorced.<ref name="ChiTrib-081518">{{cite web |last1=Metz |first1=Nina |title=A conversation with Bing Liu about his documentary 'Minding the Gap' |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/ct-mov-bing-liu-interview-minding-the-gap-0817-story.html |website=Chicago Tribune |date=August 15, 2018 |accessdate=19 February 2019}}</ref> Liu obtained American citizenship when he was 14 years old after his mother moved him to [[Rockford, Illinois|Rockford]], IL[[Illinois]] and remarried. She had one son with his stepfather, a white American man. His stepfather was physically and mentally abusive, once shooting a gun at his mother.<ref name="vulture-021919" /> He referred to Liu and his brother and mother using racial slurs and subjected them to various types of abuse.<ref name="vulture-021919" /> Liu stated that he is no longer fluent in Mandarin as he once was because his stepfather did not let him and his mother communicate with each other using the language.<ref name="vulture-021919" />

He attended community college at [[Rock Valley College]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wifr.com/content/news/Rock-Valley-Professor-on-Bing-Liu-He-was-always-working-504824972.html|date=January 24, 2019 |title=Rock Valley professor on Bing Liu: 'He was always working'|last=Newsroom|firstwebsite=[[WIFR|website=www.wifr.com|language=english]] |access-date=2019-02-20}}</ref> Liu left Rockford when he was 19<ref name=":0" /> and then attended [[University of Illinois at Chicago]] where he majored in literature.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/ct-ae-movies-coty-1230-story.html|title=Chicagoan of the Year: Bing Liu, Rockford filmmaker could make a splash at the Oscars|last=Phillips|first=Michael|website=chicagotribune.com|date=December 27, 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.iua.org/2019/04/03/for-academy-award-nominated-director-uic-was-the-launch-pad/ |work=International University Alliance |title=For Academy Award-nominated director, 'UIC was the launch pad' |first=Alin |last=Istrate |date=April 3, 2019 }}</ref>

From 2012, he worked on various film sets, typically doing camera work.<ref name=":3" /> Liu's first job on a major film was as a crew member for [[At Any Price (film)|''At Any Price'']] in 2013.

His 2018 documentary film ''[[Minding the Gap]]'' was developed with Kartemquin Films. The film centered on himself and two other young men who were skateboarders in their hometown of [[Rockford, Illinois|Rockford]], IL[[Illinois]]. The footage was shot over 12 years, beginning when Liu was 14, though it was only in his early 20s that he decided to make the documentary.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/minding-gap-director-looks-chicago-prison-next-projects-1185446 |date=2019-02-16 |first=Jewel |last=Wicker|title='Minding the Gap' Director Looks to Chicago Prison and Millennial Relationships for Next Projects|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en|access-date=2019-02-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite webmagazine|url=httphttps://time.com/5374807/minding-the-gap-documentary-interview/ |date=September 11, 2018 |first=Cady |last=Lang|title=Minding the Gap Director Discusses His Buzzy Hulu Documentary|websitemagazine=[[Time (magazine)|language=enTime]] |access-date=2019-02-20}}</ref> Liu is both a director and the subject of the film as he often speaks to his subjects from off camera.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/summer-movies/2018/8/17/17705484/minding-the-gap-interview-bing-liu-domestic-abuse-rockford-hulu|title=How Minding the Gap went from skateboard documentary to a raw look at domestic abuse|last=Wilkinson|first=Alissa |date=2018-08-August 17, 2018 |website=Vox|access-date=2019-02-19}}</ref> The film deals heavily with domestic violence and toxic masculinity. It is the first feature film that he directed.,<ref name=":2" /> and it was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 91st Academy Awards.

[[Category:Chinese directorsemigrants to the United States]]

[[Category:Asian-AmericanSundance skateboardersFilm Festival award winners]]