New York City”™s Film Forum will be presenting a 30th anniversary re-release of Chen Kaige”™s “Farewell My Concubine,” one of the most influential and honored Chinese films, from Sept. 22 to Oct. 5.
The opulent drama set against the Peking Opera involves a love triangle between the singers Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung) and Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) and the courtesan Juxian (Gong Li). The story is set against China”™s tumultuous history from the early 20th century through the upheaval of the Cultural Revolution.
Upon its release in 1993, “Farewell My Concubine” became the first (and remains the only) Chinese-language film to win the Cannes Film Festival”™s Palme d”™Or. It also earned two Academy Award nominations while receiving the Best Foreign-Language Film honors from the Golden Globes, New York Film Critics Circle and National Board of Review. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, this presentation offers a restored 4K version of “Farewell My Concubine” in its original, uncut version that is 20 minutes longer than its original U.S. theatrical release.
