Film Screening with director Cheuk Cheung
Saturday, January 9, 2016
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
James Bridges Theater (Melnitz Hall)
Following his 2012 documentary My Way on Cantonese Opera, Cheuk Cheung continues to explore the role of traditional Chinese opera in modern society in his second feature about Kunqu Opera. While My Way highlighted the struggles of male performers who play female characters, My Next Step focuses on the increasingly marginalized wusheng, male performers who specialize in martial characters. In an uncertain environment where opportunities are few and dwindling, wusheng Yang Yang grows from an unassured youth ready to call it quits to staging his own show. Filled with performance excerpts, the documentary offers an intimate look into the world of Kunqu and the inspiring journey of a young man in a fading art.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director, Cheuk Cheung.
Presented in conjunction with the Taiwan Studies Lectureship annual workshop, "Rehistoricizing Kunqu: China's Classical Opera."
The UCLA Taiwan Studies Lectureship is a joint program of the UCLA Asia Institute and the Dean of Humanities and is made possible with funding from the Department of International and Cross-Strait Education, Ministry of Education, Taiwan, represented by the Education Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles.
Sponsor(s): Center for Chinese Studies, Asia Pacific Center, Department of History, World Arts & Cultures/Dance, UCLA Dean of Humanities, UCLA Dean of Social Sciences, Taipei Economic and Cultural Organization in Los Angeles