Famed director arrested for drug abuse

 

 

BEIJING, Jan. 11 -- Award-winning Chinese film director Zhang Yuan was detained by Beijing police on Wednesday for suspected drug use.

The director, along with three others, was found at his home in eastern Beijing with methamphetamines and ketamine, according to a report on Beijing Television.

The other detainees included an acclaimed music producer and a cinematographer, the report said.

All four later tested positive for both meth and ketamine.

Zhang Yuan, 44, is known as a salient member of China's Sixth Generation of film directors, which also includes Jia Zhangke and Wang Xiaoshuai.

Zhang Yuan won a CICAE award at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival for his film, "Little Red Flowers."

The director is not the first Chinese celebrity to be caught using illegal drugs. Last May, pop singer Xie Dong was taken into custody after testing positive for meth.

(Source: CRIENGLISH.com)