"But the best feeling I got from the Olympics was, not one person complained. Everybody gave all they had."

It is easy to understand why such passion from those involved in the ceremonies awed Zhang.

Born in 1951 in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, Zhang famously sold his blood for money to buy his first camera. He studied at the Beijing Film Academy's department of cinematography and was the oldest in his class.

Zhang decided to switch to directing to broaden his options, borrowing books on the subject from schoolmates like Chen Kaige.

Zhang at a rehearsal for the Opening Ceremony. [Xinhua]

Zhang then became part of China's Fifth Generation group of directors, including Chen and Tian Zhuangzhuang, who ushered a new era of filmmaking in China.

From critically acclaimed movies like Red Sorghum and Raise the Red Lantern, to epic productions like Hero and Curse of the Golden Flower, Zhang's works in the past two decades have often featured the resilience and realities of Chinese people and culture, shown in resplendent cinematographic fashion.

At a seminar held for Beijing Film Academy students last weekend to discuss his experiences directing the Ceremonies, the packed hall was testament to Zhang's intense influence on aspiring directors and those involved in the film industry.

He had this advice for the next generation: "Students are under a lot of pressure nowadays in a different situation from that of the Fifth Generation. It becomes important for them to be sensitive to the realities of life, to have their feet firmly on the ground and adopt the virtue of hard work.

"What I relish is the process of movie-making. You have to give your best to whatever movie you are shooting at that point of time, every time."

(China Daily November 12, 2008)