Forbidden Notebook

Elemental

范冰冰 (Fàn Bīngbīng) poses on the red carpet to attend the closing ceremony and the screening of the animated film Elemental out of competition, during the 76th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France. Photo: Lionel Hahn/Getty Images.

Second Act

Postcards from Berlin

Lost in Translation

迷魂記 (Vertigo)

Five years after her tax scandal, and after months of oblivion, 范冰冰 (Fàn Bīngbīng), 41, took the stage again at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival “Berlinale” in Berlin, Germany, February 23, 2023, in a program which featured the première of her latest movie, 《绿夜》 (Green Night). At the press conference, she was not spared questions about her tax scandal, to which she proudly replied that life is made of highs and lows, and that yes, if it happens to touch the bottom, one must climb up the hard way, knowing that even then one will learn a lot about the world and people. Photo © Jens Koch/Berlinale.

Through the Wall

范冰冰 (Fàn Bīngbīng), Lee Joo-young and director 韩帅 (Hán Shuài) at the photocall for the feature film 《绿夜》 (Green Night) at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival “Berlinale” in Berlin, Germany, February 23, 2023.

Return to Berlin

The Last Leaves of Autumn

Finding Nemo

Time in Fiction

Stardom

헤어질 결심 (Decision to Leave)

胡迪尼 (Houdini)

Life begins (again) at forty for Chinese movie star 范冰冰 (Fàn Bīngbīng), who after facing up a tax audit, along with a heavy fine and a four-month disappearance, brilliantly succeeded in maintaining her prominent role as China’s prima donna on Hollywood stages. But not everything was easy. She mentioned how learning to speak English was her first and most challenging priority. “I would have to say that language was the most difficult part for me. I had to learn a lot of technical language in the script. It is very hard for me. I just memorise all my lines in the screenplay. Learning to speak English has been most challenging”, she told Hindustan Times. Photos: 张家诚 (Leslie Zhāng)/Vogue Singapore.

Off-Off-Broadway

李冰冰 (Lǐ Bīngbīng) for Harper’s Bazaar China October 2010 issue. Courtesy of 中国日报 (China Daily).

山寨 (Shānzhài)

范冰冰 (Fàn Bīngbīng) as Che Guevara for Esquire China’s June 2010 “Women Issue”. Courtesy of Esquire China.

重返大海 (Back to the Sea)

范冰冰 (Fàn Bīngbīng) for The New York Times Travel Magazine China August 2021 issue. Coming home to her birth city of 青岛 (Qīngdǎo), 山东省 (Shāndōng province), China. Photos: 姜南 (Jiāng Nán).

回文 (Palindrome)

范冰冰 (Fàn Bīngbīng) dons seven masks to form a girl group of her own called FANAᖷ in preview pics for her Madame Figaro cover shoot. Photos courtesy of Cfensi.

“Love, who exempts no loved one from loving”

范冰冰 (Fàn Bīngbīng) for Madame Figaro: “Boundless expectations of love / Love connects us / Love makes us believe / Love keeps us together / Like spring blossoms”. Photo: Madame Figaro 中文版/新浪微博 (Sina Wēibó).

猫女 (Catwoman)

Chinese show star 范冰冰 (Fàn Bīngbīng) posing as Catwoman in the March 2017 issue of Cosmopolitan. Photo courtesy of Hi 范冰冰 (Fàn Bīngbīng) (@HiFanBingBing).