China's first 4K opera movie 'Madam White Snake - The Affection' starts filming

GUAGNZHOU, China, Dec. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Movie has a special bond with traditional opera in China. 112 years after China's first Peking Opera movie 'Dingjun Mountain' was released in Beijing, China's first 4K Cantonese Opera movie 'Madam White Snake - The Affection' started filming in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, on Dec. 26, 2017. This is also the first 4K traditional Chinese opera movie in China.

The launching ceremony of 'Madam White Snake - The Affection' and 4K film industry chain was held by Zhujiang Film Group. Shen Haixiong, a standing committee member of the CPC Guangdong provincial committee and head of Guangdong's publicity department, Yuan Baocheng, vice governor of Guangdong, inaugurated the shooting at the ceremony.

According to statistics, Guangdong owns the largest market for Chinese film consumption, accounting for 1/7 of the country's box office takings each year. In recent years, Chinese consumers spend more on 4K films, while most 4K film sources are still imported. In order to break this dilemma and raise the standard of 4K programs, Guangdong launched the 4K TV pilot program on Dec. 23, the Guangdong 4K Television Program Production Center and Guangdong 4K Movie Program Production Center were established on the same occasion.

"Guangdong should introduce and create more excellent programs at the same time, so as to make the province into a filmmaking and trade center for 4K film in China," said Shen at the Guangdong's 4K TV pilot program launching ceremony on Dec. 23, "We should discover and use our strengths to confirm the cultural confidence." Hence, 4K Cantonese Opera movie 'Madam White Snake - The Affection' started filming. 

It is known that 'Madame White Snake' is a household love legend based on the background of West Lake in Hangzhou, China. The new adaption 'Madam White Snake - The Affection' is a key opera created and promoted by Guangdong Cantonese Opera Institute in recent years. Zeng Xiaomin, China's prominent young Cantonese Opera performing artist, acts the leading role in the opera with superb performances and changes the traditional tragedy into a happy ending. Because of her accomplished performance in this play, she won the Chinese Drama Plum Blossom Award, China's top award for drama. 

Looking back at the history of China's film industry, we can see the convergence of traditional Chinese opera and movie: In 1905, China's first Peking Opera movie 'Dingjun Mountain' was released in Beijing, starring Tan Xinpei; In 1948, China's first color Peking Opera movie 'Remorse at Death' was born in Shanghai, starring Mei Lanfang; In late 1953, China's first color Shaoxing Opera movie 'The Butterfly Lovers' completed filming in Shanghai, starring Yuan Xuefen and Fan Ruijuan; In late 2017, China's first 4K traditional Chinese opera movie 'Madam White Snake - The Affection' started filming in Guangzhou, starring Zeng Xiaomin.

In addition to cooperating with Guangdong Cantonese Opera Institute in filming 4K Cantonese Opera movie 'Madam White Snake - The Affection', Zhujiang Film Group also issued its development plan for 4K film industry chain. It is said that Zhujiang Film Group will partner with China Aerospace Construction Group, China Research Institute of Film Science & Technology and will introduce world-leading technology for 4K filmmaking in future.

According to Cai Fuqing, the chairman of Zhujiang Film Group, it is an initiative move to develop excellent traditional Chinese culture with advanced technology to establish 4K film industry chain and produce 4K Cantonese Opera movie. It helps Guangdong to take the lead in building a complete 4K film industry chain in the country.

SOURCE Zhujiang Film Group