Born on this day in Canton, South China, director John Woo (1948–) revolutionized Hong Kong cinema with his kinetic and poetic storytelling. His groundbreaking films inspired a generation of filmmakers including Quentin Tarantino.

Woo grew up in poverty and dreamed of being a filmmaker. Though he couldn’t afford college, film became his voice—and his sanctuary. “When I was in high school, I dreamed of being a filmmaker,” he said. “With films, I could escape and create.”

His debut, The Young Dragons (1973), marked the beginning of an extraordinary career. With films like A Better Tomorrow and The Killer, he introduced emotionally charged, stylized action to global audiences.

After moving to America in 1992, he directed Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2, bringing his ballet-like slow motion and symbolic doves to mainstream cinema.

“When I shoot action sequences,” he explained, “I think of great dancers—Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire. Even though it is violence, it’s dance.” Actor Ben Affleck said of Woo, “With him, film becomes choreography—a long, sweeping dance between actor and lens.”

Woo’s films transcend genre. They are stories of sacrifice, redemption, and the power of the human spirit. “Action is not the only thing in my movies,” he explained. “I always like to show human nature—something deep inside the heart.”