I was reading that Wang Kar wai's My Blueberry Nights opened the Cannes film festival and that it was about Romania and in English and I started to think about the progress that Chinese directors have made in breaking out of local Chinese market and making a huge impact on the international film industry, and it's really quote remarkable. Traditionally Chinese directors have stayed within the language and culture, and if they were able to cross-over it was in the genres of action or kung fu. Of course there have been Chinese movies that don't fit this mold that have found a western audience--Beijing Bicycle, many of Wang's films--but they are primarily in the art world.

One could argue that Ang Lee (Taiwanese) was way out in front with Sense and Sensibility 13 years ago, but Brokeback Mountain, as much as people liked to use it as a punchline for jokes, was a remarkable achievement and perhaps is leading the way for 'Chinese' directors that want to break into Hollywood without doing "Crouching Tiger HIdden Dragon" etc.

Maybe this trend started earlier than I realized, but for Wan Kar Wai to finally cross into international film with non-Chinese language movies is an important development that really may impact what even mainland directors see as possible for them. It's always a little difficult comparing HK, Taiwan, and mainland film industries, but there are similarities among them, not the least of which is western perception.

This is a bit rambling, but I'm really interested in hearing if other people think there are legitimate points here or if I'm missing important factors.