Farewell, My Concubine (Ba Wang Bie Ji)

media release: China | 1993 | DCP | 170 min. | Mandarin with English subtitles

Director: Chen Kaige

Cast: Leslie Cheung, Zhang Fengyi, Gong Li

One of the most acclaimed Chinese films of all time spans 50 years from the beginning of the 20th Century to the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s. At the Peking Opera Academy Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung) and Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) endure harsh training, developing complementary talents as they mature, with Dieyi playing female roles and Xiaolou playing male warlords. Dieyi's unreciprocated love for Xiaolou, who marries a courtesan named Juxian (Gong Li), creates a perilous, jealousy-filled romantic triangle. This recently restored version brings back 20 minutes never before seen by North American movie audiences. Presented with the support of the Center for East Asian Studies at UW-Madison.