梁山伯與祝英台

Followed by an introduction into traditional Chinese opera music by Xinghan Ren

In this sumptuous musical adaptation of one of China’s most famous folk tales, Betty Loh Ti plays a fourth–century maiden (Chu Ying-Tai) who yearns for an education. Disguised as a boy in order to attend school, she meets the dashing Liang Shan-Po, with whom she falls passionately in love. Six decades after its release, this retrospective screening offers audiences the chance to reconsider how the gender-bending role-play traditional in Huangmei opera also features in this classic film. The decision to cast a female actress (Ivy Ling Po) in the male role further complicates the onscreen sexual dynamics. Desire is presented as both fluid and uninhibited by gender in this playful, hugely popular and award-winning musical that made Ling Po an icon. (QE)

Xinghan Ren, born and raised in Xi'an, China, is a percussionist. He moved to Hamburg in 2017 and studied at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre. He is now a percussion teacher at the same school.