Peking Opera film makes its Beijing premiere

The Beijing premiere of The Kylin Purse (Suo Lin Nang), a production within the Peking Opera Film Project, was unveiled at the China National Film Museum on Dec 27.

The film stars Zhang Huoding, professor at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts and a famed Peking Opera actress, and is directed by Teng Junjie, vice-president of the Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

It is jointly produced by Shanghai Film Group, the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, Shanghai Media Group and the Beijing Jinghu Art Research Association.

Last June, it made its Shanghai premiere at the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival. And in November, it was screened at the 9th edition of the Festival des operas traditionnels chinois (festival of traditional Chinese operas) in Paris.

The Kylin Purse is considered a cornerstone of the Cheng style of Peking Opera, a style named after Peking Opera master Cheng Yanqiu, and a signature piece of Zhang, who is a representative performer of the style.

In her speech at the premiere, Zhang said that the thoughts and spirits of Cheng Yanqiu continue to inspire future generations, and capturing stage art classics through film is both a tribute to the master and a way to preserve traditional art heritage.

According to Yin Xiaodong, president of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, the Peking Opera piece has been performed onstage for more than 80 years and enjoys a dedicated fan base. This film was included in the Peking Opera Film Project in 2014, and was then funded by the China National Arts Fund. The filming process was completed in January 2022, and the film made its premiere in 2024, marking the 120th anniversary of Cheng Yanqiu's birth.