Taiwan director Edward Yang died from complications from colon cancer last Friday (June 29) at his home in the U.S., Taiwan media said Sunday. He died at the age of 59.

Yang, the Cannes-winning Taiwan director, was known for his realistic portrayals of modern Taiwan.

One of his most successful works is "A Brighter Summer Day," a 1991 film set in 1950s Taipei about Elvis-worshipping teenage boys who get involved with gangsters. According to Shenzhen Daily, the film was viewed as a major incubator of Taiwanese movie talent and an important documentation of the island's history. One character is shown being questioned by Taiwan police in the middle of the night.

Yang won the "best director" title at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival with the film "Yi Yi" (A One and a Two), a story about a Taiwanese family that copes with the serious illness of their elderly mother, and was regarded as one of the most talented directors in Taiwan in 1980s.

Editor: Wing