Let's make this birthday one to remember.

54 years old (Born on May 24, 1970)

Happy birthday, Jia Zhangke! Another year of directing life's untamed moments with masterful stillness. We're pretty sure you age like your films—beautifully timeless and always award-worthy. Ever since "Still Life" clinched the Golden Lion at Venice in 2006, you've reminded us that sometimes doing very little can mean quite a lot.

Here's wishing another epic round behind that cinematic lens; may each scene hold fewer script rewrites and more standing ovations—or perhaps just as many golden lions roaming your shelves. Honestly, if birthdays were film festivals, you'd already have swept Best Director—for lifetime originality in blowing out candles!