The Chinese filmmaker talks about his love of Peking opera and why he has directed Turandot.
Chen Kaige’s Farewell My Concubine was the first Chinese-language film to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and follows the journey of two Peking opera stars through the Cultural Revolution. In 2008 he directed a new production of Turandot conducted by Zubin Mehta. Chen’s new film, The Sacrifice, is based on a Chinese opera and opens at the Sydney Film Festival tonight.
Tell us about the story of your new film The Sacrifice, which is based on a centuries-old Peking opera tale.
It is a classical story existing in the history of China for 2,000 years, and it has been used in opera and many other adaptations. I didn’t see the opera being performed on the stage, but I understood that there are different versions of the story of the Zhao Orphan story, and people can see those things. There’s a very famous Peking Opera based on the same story.
How does your version of the tale unfold; what’s different about your interpretation?
If you want to make this kind of story, then you have to make decisions. First, in terms of how...
Comments
Log in to join the conversation.