Zhao was born in Liaoning, and graduated from Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in 1992.
[citation needed] He supported himself as a photographer while working on his early documentaries.
Zhao's 2009 documentary Petition: The Court of the Complainants premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and is about aspects of the legal system in China.
[1] The film was shot over twelve years and details the plight of Chinese citizens traveling to Beijing to file complaints with the central government about local officials.
[citation needed] His work focuses on global social and ecological issues.