John Woo, SBS
Winner of almost 20 major awards and nominations, John Woo is a Hong Kong film director, writer and producer whose action films are a major influence on the genre. Starting as an assistant director with the Shaw Brothers Studios in 1969, his 1993 movie Hard Target made him the first Asian director to make a mainstream Hollywood film. Known for his highly chaotic action sequences, gun-pointing standoffs, and frequent use of slow motion, Woo has directed notable Hong Kong films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard Boiled and Red Cliff. His Hollywood films include Broken Arrow, Face/Off and Mission: Impossible II. His lead characters, whether good or bad, always adhere to a strict code of conduct, which includes a vow never to harm or kill innocent people.
