The view finder

The irony is not lost on Jia Zhangke when he says the most surprising thing about his recent stint in charge of a collection of Asia's most promising young filmmakers is how much he has learned from the experience.

"It opened my eyes," the director says. "I was learning how they see the world after telling them how I see the world. I didn't really expect that, but for me this was like utopia. The idea was to give the students a wider vision - and that's what I walked away with, too. That's what cinema is all about."

Last month saw Jia installed as dean of the Busan International Film Festival's Asian Film Academy (AFA), which this year selected 23 young filmmakers from across the region and put them through their paces at seminars and workshops spread over 18 days.

The role enabled the festival to tap into Jia's skills as a storyteller and as an independent Chinese director, skills that have seen the 42-year-old pick up the Golden Lion at Venice with Still Life (2006) and be nominated for Cannes' Palme D'Or twice (for Unknown Pleasures in 2002 and 24 City in 2008). It also made use of his emerging role as a producer and mentor.

"This is something I take very seriously," Jia says while taking a break from AFA activities. "Apart from making my own films, my production company [Xstream Pictures] helps young filmmakers - we have made four films [with] new directors since we started in 2003. I am lucky to have found freedom in my career and I want to help others to enjoy it too."

When Jia first emerged in the 1990s, his focus was fixed on the society he saw evolving around him. His films were lauded by critics for their unflinching look at the lives of ordinary Chinese, be they the villagers in Still Life or theme park workers in The World (2004). "I have always had a lot of things I want to tell people about life and about China," he says.