Chinese film director launches overseas premiere of conceptual show

Chinese film director Zhang Yimou [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

Renowned Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, who's also known for directing the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games, made the overseas premiere of his new conceptual performance in Edinburgh Fringe Festival Saturday and Sunday.

Combining Chinese traditional arts and modern technology, and jointly performed by Chinese artists and foreign studios, the two-day show called 2047 Apologue was sold out to around 2,000 audience.

As the director of the show, Zhang Yimou delivered a video speech at the premiere, in which he said his new production is trying to touch on the question of "the relationship between human and technology, as well as the cultural collision and integration between China and the world, tradition and the future."

"It is not only a show or a story," he said, "but more like a reflection on puzzles that come with the rapid progression of technology."

The Chinese director said his inspiration have come from the hope that more children could spend less time on computers, more time on communication with family and friends.

Gorden, one of the audience, praised the artistic expression of the show, saying he was quite shocked and touched. "It uses a form I've never seen before."

Bao Yi, producer of 2047 Apologue, said that they chose Chinese Art and Culture Festival, which is organized under the framework of Edinburgh Fringe Festival, as their first overseas platform. Later this year, they plan to take the show to New York and Sydney.

Chinese Art and Culture Festival, organized by the Scotland-China Chamber of Commerce, has been held successfully for three consecutive years.

Song Jie, the chamber president, believes the overseas Chinese society can act as a bridge between China and the outside world, helping to bring Chinese arts and culture to the world stage.

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is one of the largest art festivals in the world, covering a wide range of drama, music, dance, film and so on. It attracts millions of visitors from all over the world. This year, the Fringe runs from Aug 4 to 28, with more than 50,000 artists and performers bringing over 3,000 performances.