FOREVER ENTHRALLED

FOREVER ENTHRALLED (MEI LANFANG), 2008
Çhina | 35mm, Color, 150’ | Mandarin
Director: Kaige Chen
Cast: Leon Lai, Ziyi Zhang, Honglei Sun

This opulent period drama is the story of Mei Lanfang (1894-1961), a Peking opera singer of such virtuosity that fame spread worldwide. The film neatly conveys the fragile social position of opera performers in the early part of the last centuryand is blessed by a handful of outstanding performances amongst the supporting cast representing the singers. But above all it is an engaging portrait of Mei’s amazing talent, which bewitched audiences of the time and made him one of China’s true national treasures.