10 | Friday, November 29, 2019 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY

Jacob Cheung’s latest film, The Opera House, looks back on the glory days of Cinema Homage to Peking Opera Peking Opera in the early 1900s. Mathew Scott met the director and lead actor Mason Lee at Pingyao Film Festival.

with arthouse fi lms from around the ated imagery as a means of connect- world, but we feel it’s very impor- ing with contemporary audiences, tant that young audiences today get even if the tale is from long ago. a sense of China’s history and its cin- “There are quite a few fi lmmakers ematic history,” explains Jia, argu- doing this kind of thing,” explains ably the country’s most successful Jia. “The basic idea is to use modern arthouse fi lmmaker, thanks to the techniques to allow the audience to likes of his success with the Venice connect with the past.” Golden Lion-winner Still Life (2006). Cheung and Lee addressed the Other fi lms on the Pingyao pro- press before their film’s premiere. gram that explored the past of both The 29-year-old actor admitted to cinema and the country included a knowing next to nothing about the restored version of Zhang Yimou’s history of Chinese opera before he breakthrough hit Red Sorghum heard about the fi lm. Subsequently (1988) and a very modern take on a he became so enthralled with the classic Cantonese opera in the Zhang genre that he spent 10 months study- Xianfeng-directed White Snake — ing its crafts — and that was even both using 4k fi lm resolution. before Cheung had secured the bud- Based on the ancient Chinese folk- get necessary to make the fi lm. tale of a snake spirit that falls in love “Peking opera is very far away with a man, White Snake comes with from what I am used to, so direc- spectacular visual flourishes now tor Cheung took a risk,” says Lee. “I possible, thanks to the remastered learnt from masters in Taipei and version in high-defi nition. Also, like Beijing and that brought me closer Cheung’s The Opera House, it leans to the character and I developed a on other very modern fi lmmaking passion for these skills. techniques such as computer-gener- “I was brought up in the US, so I lack the exposure to these traditions. Mason Lee trained with Peking opera masters in Beijing to prepare for his role in Jacob Cheung’sThe Opera House. But being exposed to these traditions has made my mental world more irector Jacob Cheung’s Boxer Rebellion era when China’s was making these kinds of fi lms, but escape his ponytail got caught in a complete. These days, traditional cul- latest venture, The Opera martial artists had been defeated there were so many details in his beam and he was shot. “I thought tures and arts are not really popular, House, is part film and by a coalition of international forces fi lms about everyday life.” this was a metaphor for change and but I fell in love with Peking opera.” part social mission in its and their craft banished to society’s The Opera House is a departure how people can be trapped by the The Opera House is set for a rollout Dattempts to connect audiences with sidelines. At the same time, opera from the kind of fi lms that brought past and need to adapt,” says Cheung. in cinemas in 2020 and Cheung is times long gone. stars were treated like deities. Cheung acclaim, such as the multi- “These sorts of issues are important hoping the inspiration he found from “Chinese fi lmmakers should keep The Opera House also feels — visu- award winning actioner A Battle to every generation.” history will resonate with audiences. these types of stories alive,” explains ally and in terms of tone — very of Wits (2006). But he’d previously “When I started to make this fi lm Cheung. “I think it is up to us to much like the 1960s-1970s-era Shaw touched on history in 1988’s Lai Shi, Cultural inheritance I returned to Li’s fi lms, and to old introduce a younger audience to a Brothers fi lms made by the director China’s Last Eunuch and on social The Opera House had its world documentaries and pictures,” he says. sense of nostalgia.” Li Han-hsiang, a man whose very issues in Cageman (1992). Cheung premiere at the third Pingyao “So it’s a reminder of the old days. The Opera House certainly echoes best eš orts (The Love Eterne and The says that with The Opera House he Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon What I wanted to do was to take a the past, in terms of both subject Empress Dowager) came seeped with wanted to present a story set in a dif- International Film Festival, held in new audience on a nostalgia trip. matter and cinematic style. It stars refl ections on times and characters ferent period, with characters — and October in northern China’s Shanxi “In order to interest young fi lmgo- Mason Lee — son of Oscar-winning past. issues — that might be considered Province. There was a sense of nos- ers you have to get young fi lms stars fi lm director Ang Lee — as a young “When I grew up in Hong Kong timeless. talgia running through the program, and that’s where Mason came in. lad torn between his father’s desire (in the 1960s and 1970s) I never had Cheung revealed he had heard a which was by design, according to Director Jacob Cheung hopes With actors like Mason we can make that he become a martial artist and the chance to see China,” explains tale about a martial arts master who festival co-founder Jia Zhangke. to acquaint young Chinese the story young again and we made his own passion for Chinese opera. Cheung. “It was only through fi lms was involved in the Boxer Rebellion “The festival wants to introduce people with their cultural the story about young characters. The fi lm is set in the backstreets of that I could see Beijing and see how of 1900 and had fought against the contemporary Chinese arthouse heritage through films like The That’s how we can connect people early 1900s Beijing during the post- the culture of Beijing was. Only Li foreign forces. As he was trying to fi lms to the Chinese audience along Opera House. with the past,” says Cheung.

Our pick of city events from Nov 29 to Dec 9 Balkan voices In a joint performance with the IF YOU GO Christmas lights Hong Kong Sinfonietta, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, headed by Mozart Requiem Estonian Philharmonic With Christmas fast approaching, Hong Kong will Latvian conductor Kaspars Putniņš, will Chamber Choir with Hong become brighter than ever as festive lights decorate perform some of Estonia’s finest classical Kong Sinfonietta neighborhood trees and light up buildings. Architect pieces, such as Arvo Pärt’s Fratres and Venue: Hong Kong City Chan Lai Kiu has curated nine art pieces by a dozen local Adam’s Lament (making its Hong Kong Hall Concert Hall, Edinburgh Place, Central artists to promote a more sustainable and eco-friendly premiere), as well as Veljo Tormis’ Curse Date: Nov 30, 8 pm holiday season. Labeled “upcycled” art, the pieces are Upon Iron. A chorus of strings and voices https://hksl.org/concert/ made from recycled materials including tablecloths, bottle will harmonize in a finale performance of mozart-requiem/ caps and cardboard scraps as well as various lighting Mozart’s Requiem, K626. instruments and fixtures. A Christmas tree-shaped light installation with an accessible interior has been installed in the atrium of Nina Mall, and guided tours are available for those interested to learn more about the underlying Fruity puppet show thematic concept of each piece. The ancient art of puppetry continues IF YOU GO to thrive as Hong Kong-based Fantasy The Great Adventures of Puppet Theatre presents their latest Pineapple Sea IF YOU GO production featuring a band of fruits Presented by Fantasy Puppet Theatre Wish to be – Renaissance of Used Lights: Upcycled journeying across the sea and chancing Venue: Cultural Activities Hall, Art Exhibition upon creatures like an anteater, a frog Sha Tin Town Hall, 1 Yuen Wo Presented by Chinachem Group and mayfly. With a cast of colorful Road, Sha Tin, New Territories Venue: Shop 201, 2/F, Nina Mall 1, 8 Yeung Uk Road, characters and master puppeteers at the Dates: Nov 29 – 30, 7:30 pm; Tsuen Wan Nov 30 – Dec 1, 2:30 pm Date: Until late Feb, 11 am – 8 pm helm, this child-friendly performance is www.fantasypuppettheatre. https://www.chinachemgroup.com/en/lightupcy- bound to mesmerize audiences. com/news cledart/news/news-2

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Exhibition Superheroes of the Ming era

By MIKE LAU tors’ items. look like,” explains Leung. “It was objects with auspicious motifs such Specimens of this fine art genre actually quite a technical process.” as characters denoting “double joy” Film franchises usually enjoy a are now on display in Kwun Tong’s Because of the intricacy involved while the romantics swooned over captive audience. Whether you are Sun Museum. According to associ- in the craftsmanship, such painted pottery that captured scenes from the a Marvel fan or a Twilight obsessive, ate curator Rachel Leung, the tales pottery was highly expensive. Only Romance of the Western Chamber. An the pull of familiar characters and these images are based on surpassed the wealthiest could aš ord to have iconic scene from the novel depicts a situations can be quite strong. the Harry Potter books in terms of such exquisite, hand-crafted pieces girl from a respectable family secretly Images of fi ctional heroes painted popularity. “It’s exactly like the Mar- displayed at home. meeting a lover at the dead of the on fine late Ming Dynasty (1368 - vel franchise,” she says. “This was expensive porcelain, so it night. The romance between star- 1644) porcelain are a precursor to Recreating scenes from much- was mainly the merchant class who crossed lovers meeting in secret had A scene from Romance of the Western Chamber painted on the larger-than-life characters vested loved fi ctional tales on a porcelain would buy it, purely for decoration captured the hearts of Ming and Qing Ming pottery on display at the Sun Museum exhibition. with superpowers we see in the mov- base wasn’t an easy task. The paint purposes,” says Leung. Dynasty (1644 - 1911) readers, many ies today. The painted figures are did not sit easily on the smooth Tales from the classics of Chinese of whom had begun to resent the resonating with today’s audiences. often taken from tales like Romance round surfaces of vases and bowls, literature were favored by the dis- rigid social norms of the era. “It’s inspiring to know that three IF YOU GO of the Western Chamber and Legends and it was hard to accurately predict cerning customers with a taste for “This story is basically about a centuries ago our ancestors imag- young lady and a scholar who fall in ined a story like that. They proved Legend of Wenwu – Ming and Qing of the Sui and Tang Dynasties — the tone a pigment would take on at culture. Those interested in war sto- Dynasties the superhero sagas from another the end of the day. ries preferred pieces depicting the love with each other and try to break that they were not rigid or passive Dates: Until Feb 8 time. These tales were so popular “That distinctive blue color actual- Three Kingdoms period (220-280), the societal strictures,” Leung says. and they could be creative enough to Venue: Sun Museum, 4/F, SML in their day that scenes from them ly comes through after the porcelain showing warlords fighting each “It’s about courage and perseverance make things for themselves,” she says, Tower, 165 Hoi Bun Road, Kwun Tong, New Territories were immortalized on porcelain and is fi red in the kiln. The artists could other. Traditional customs afi ciona- to pursue true love.” reiterating the eternal appeal of the www.sunmuseum.org.hk became highly sought-after collec- only imagine what the colors might dos preferred to pick up porcelain Leung is optimistic about the show pieces on show.