The Biography

Yu Lik-wai (simplified Chinese: 余力为; traditional Chinese: 余力爲; pinyin: Yú Lìwéi; Jyutping: Yu4 Lik6 Wai4; born 12 August 1966), sometimes credited as Nelson Yu, is a Hong Kong cinematographer, film director, and occasional film producer. Born in Hong Kong, Yu Lik-wai was educated at Belgium's INSAS (Institut National Superieur des Arts de Spectacle) where he graduated with a degree in cinematography in 1994. Yu has become a mainstay in both the cinemas of China (where he is perhaps best known for his collaborations with director Jia Zhangke) and Hong Kong. Yu has served as director of photography for nearly all of Chinese director Jia Zhangke's films, and along with Jia, the two men founded their own independent film production company, Xstream Pictures.