Institute History
Description
The revolutionary model opera—propagandist musicals that were virtually the only filmed entertainment for a generation of Communist Chinese—was the brainchild of Madame Mao Jiang Qing Min, the failed actress and first lady of the Cultural Revolution and Great Leap Forward. Although Jiang Qing was ultimately condemned, convicted, and erased from modern Chinese history, the Yang Ban Xi have recently regained popularity with the younger generation, while continuing to hold a tender place in the hearts of those who knew the originals—including the singers and dancers for whom the musicals were their ticket to fame as well as the ultimate cultural crime.
Director Yan Ting Yuen takes a reverent tack toward those who performed in the Yang Ban Xi, and an irreverent, playful attitude toward the operas themselves. Her cast will burst into song and dance at the most unexpected moment, giving the film a joyfulness and sense of humor missing from virtually any other account of the Maoist Chinese era. Exquisite original film segments from the eight model works, combined with interviews and contemporary performances, open a window into present-day urban China and its burgeoning cultural scene, and make for a visually striking and captivating film not to be missed.