Codename Cougar

Codename Cougar is a 1989 Chinese thriller film. It was co-directed by Zhang Yimou and Yang Fengliang. Unlike the bulk of Zhang's early work which were all historical pieces, Codename Cougar is a modern thriller involving a skyjacked airliner and political intrigue. The film was made as a private investment by a friend of Zhang, but parts of their initial ideas were censored by the Chinese authorities. In the end, the film broke even but earned no profits. Zhang called it "a purely commercial gun chase film".