Ye Lou born in Shanghai, Lou was educated at the Beijing Film Academy and commonly grouped with the «Sixth Generation» directors of Chinese cinema. In 1993 he made his first film «Weekend Lover», but it was not released until two years later. Lou did not gain international prominence until his third film, the neo-noir «Suzhou River» (2000). Among his most notable works are «Purple Butterfly» (2003), "Summer Palace» (2006), "Spring Fever" (2009) and «Mystery» (2012).