Pai Niang Niang: The Last Osmanthus Blossom
《白孃孃:一朶遲桂花》

2023 | 65min | In Cantonese, Mandarin, and English with Chinese and English subtitles | Dir. Isabel Wong

West Coast Premiere

followed by Zoom Q&A with the director

In March 1972, decades before Rebecca Pan worked with Wong Kar-wai in Days of Being Wild and In the Mood for Love, she produced and self-financed Pai Niang Niang, the first-ever musical in Mandarin, performing it 60 times at the Princess Theatre in Tsim Sha Tsui. This milestone in Hong Kong’s cultural history adapted the Chinese myth "Legend of the White Snake" using the Broadway musical model, blending Eastern and Western theatrical styles with traditional Chinese music, dance, costumes, and modern Western concepts.  Despite its innovation, the production was ahead of its time and did not achieve commercial success. It was believed to have faded into obscurity and lost. But in April 2024, a partial film recording of the performance was miraculously discovered. This restored footage now forms the finale of the documentary Pai Niang Niang: The Last Osmanthus Blossom, directed by Wong Tsui-Wah Isabel. Through years of research, Wong meticulously documented every detail of Pai Niang Niang, capturing its essence in this documentary with great dedication and care.

1972年3月,潘迪華自資製作香港首部華語音樂劇《白孃孃》,並在尖沙咀樂宮戲院演出了六十場,這不但是香港藝術文化其中一段歷史,亦是潘迪華畢生最大的投資及創舉。該劇以百老匯音樂劇模式改編膾炙人口的中國民間傳說《白蛇傳》,其實是中西合璧,亦是將中國傳統音樂、舞蹈、服裝和舞台設計結合西方現代觀念的大膽嘗試,卻因走得太前而不獲市場接受,亦因沒有任何舞台紀錄片段傳世而被淡忘。2023年四月,當年拍下的局部表演錄像片段奇蹟出土,經修復後成為這部紀錄片的壓軸部分,讓歌迷、影迷再次感受其前瞻性。這部紀錄片由黃翠華導演執導,黃氏在多年來的觀察及發掘過程中,一直尋找《白孃孃》的各種面貌,並透過這部紀錄片將《白孃孃》的點滴記錄下來。

Director’s bio
Wong Tsui-Wah, Isabel is a screenwriter, director, multi-media producer, and curator. She has worked in television as a script reviewer for drama content and as a programme producer for variety shows. She has written more than 20 drama series, and she has produced music programmes and award ceremonies. In 2021, she was appointed Content Director of TVB Music Group, with a focus on album and concert production. She founded the studio Artcanteen and is passionate about documentary filmmaking. In 2022, she curated a photo exhibition of Ms Rebecca Pan - Rebecca Pan Wan Ching Will The Orange Blossom Smile Photo Journey. She is working on a documentary celebrating the achievements of Filipino musicians in Hong Kong.

導演簡介
黃翠華是資深電影及電視編劇、紀錄片導演及策展人。她曾任職電視台,擔任戲劇科劇本審閱,參與創作超過二十部劇集;後期主理音樂節目同時參與各類型音樂會及演唱會策劃和製作。2021年出任電視台附屬唱片公司內容總監。現擁有自己的工作室 「藝術糧倉」,從事多媒體創作及製作,並熱衷紀錄片製作。2022年策展了「潘迪華.花弄影.珍藏相片展」及正在攝製有關在港菲律賓裔音樂人對亞洲流行音樂貢獻的紀錄電影。

  • Sep 3, 2024 (Tue)
    7:00 PM
    USC School of Cinematic Arts


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