Opera finds its way to China's big screens

Rickshaw Boy is among the opera films being screened in cinemas this summer. Photo provided to China Daily

Blockbusters may not be the only option for Chinese movie fans this summer.

Opera productions are being screened in theaters in eight Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Jinan in Shandong province and Dalian in Liaoning province, through Aug 7.

Titled the International Opera Film Exhibition, the event will bring 13 opera films produced by six renowned theaters, including Carmen and La Boheme by Metropolitan Opera of the United States, Tosca and La Traviata by Royal Opera House of the United Kingdom, The Tales of Hoffmann by the Paris Opera and Tchaikovsky's Iolanta by Mariinsky Theater in Russia.

According to the organizers, the National Center for the Performing Arts and China's Ministry of Culture, this event is the first of its kind in China, which will help promote the art form among Chinese audiences.

"Opera in cinema is a phenomenon in the West. But it's still very new in China. We hope these screenings will introduce opera films to Chinese audiences," says Yang Jingmao, vice-president of the National Center for the Performing Arts.

"For many audiences, opera is a kind of 'high art'. By bringing opera to cinemas, it will help the art form get connected with the general public."

Yang adds that the 13 productions are world-class, which will be "a good beginning for people, who rarely watch opera live".

"The comfort and convenience of local cinemas seems to outweigh the attractions of a trip to the opera house," he says.

One of the highlights is a Chinese original opera The White-Haired Girl. First staged in 1945, the opera was produced as a 3-D film last year.

Another Chinese opera is Rickshaw Boy, one of the Chinese operas commissioned by the NCPA.

Premiered in 2014, the opera is based on Chinese writer Lao She's novel of the same title, which is known for its strong old Beijing local culture.

"Hopefully, we're attracting a new generation of fans by making opera more accessible," says Yang. "Imagine yourself wearing jeans and eating popcorn while watching an opera film at the cinema－it will be a fresh experience."

The opera films to be shown will be done at theaters owned by Broadway Cinema, the cinema management brand of Hong Kong's Edko Films.

"We want to offer movies with diversified content to the audiences, not just commercial movies," says Wang Jie, manager of programming at Broadway Cinema. "With the technology, it's not only a revolution for opera but also for cinema."