From The People’s Daily Online:
The directors’ focus on contemporary society and striking personal style distinguishes them from the Fifth Generation, led by Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, and had made them “underground.” Last year, however, their films started to rise onto the ground from “underground.”
“The move is the result of every side’s hope,” said Li Xun, a researcher with the Film Art Research Center of China, “The directors wish for the recognition of the society and home audience, the government also showed its welcome and the audience hope to watch their works in cinemas.”Some of the Sixth Generation’s movies — “Beijing Bicycle” by Wang Xiaoshuai; “Xiao Wu,” “Platform” and “Unknown Pleasures” by Jia Zhangke; “Suzhou River” by Lou Ye; “East Palace, West Palace” and “Beijing Bastards” by Zhang Yuan — circulate among a small cluster of people by DVD/VCD and Internet.
Despite gaining permission for public release, these artistic films are unlikely to rake in box office dollars, because of their avant-garde style and story lines don’t have wide appeal in China.