A total of 21 Peking Opera films are being presented to the public during the ongoing Beijing International Film Festival, including the well-known movies "Farewell My Concubine," "Havoc in Heaven" and the classic production of "A River All Red," the largest in number in the festival's history.
Yu Kuizhi, a renowned Peking Opera performer and a lead actor in "A River All Red," said: "I hope this work can leave some references in terms of Peking Opera art for future generations."
Yu, who has been involved in Peking Opera for over 50 years, added: "'A River All Red' is something I started learning and performing when I was 39. It has always been my dream to bring it to the big screen. Through modern filmmaking techniques, we can enrich our performances and promote the art of Peking Opera to a wider audience."
Yu Kuizhi, a renowned Peking Opera artist, speaks at the premiere of Peking opera movie "A River All Red" in Beijing on Monday, April 21, 2025. /Photo provided to CGTN
The China Film Corporation has led the production and distribution of a dozen classic Peking Opera films in recent years. Company representative Ren Yue announced at Monday's premiere of "A River All Red" that 119 of its cinemas nationwide will launch a long-term screening campaign for these Peking Opera films to expand the reach of this traditional art form.
Since 2011, artists and experts from the opera and film industries have collaborated to create films based on this traditional Chinese art form, promoting the "Beijing Opera Film Project," which has been screened at the Beijing International Film Festival for 10 consecutive years.
