Romance movies, English plays take center stage in art film event

Now that the typhoon has passed, let’s head to cinemas. Get ready for the September edition of the Shenzhen Art Film Screening event.

Leslie Cheung (L) and Mei Ting in a scene from “A Time to Remember.” File photos

Fans of Leslie Cheung should not miss his revolutionary and romance movie “A Time to Remember,” which was screened in 1998 and is making a comeback on mainland screens this month to mark its 25th anniversary. The film revolves around the story of Qiuqiu (Mei Ting) and Jin (Cheung), who disguise themselves as a married couple in 1930s Shanghai. While treating Jin’s illness, U.S. doctor Robert Payne (Todd Babcock) learns about the couple’s revolutionary story and decides to help them wholeheartedly.

“Fire of Love”

Another great love story selected for this month’s screening event is U.S. documentary “Fire of Love.” For two decades, the daring French volcanologist couple Katia and Maurice Krafft had roamed the planet, chasing eruptions and their aftermath, documenting their discoveries in stunning photographs and breathtaking films. Ultimately, they lost their lives during a 1991 volcanic explosion in Japan, but they would leave a legacy that would forever enrich our knowledge of the natural world.

“Ian McKellen on Stage”

More English-language productions are being screened at Broadway Cinematheque, including “Life of Pi,” “Leopoldstadt,” “Ian McKellen on Stage” and “The Lehman Trilogy.” The four stage-play videos have been selected from the British Theater Live Festival program.

“Ripples of Life”

The Chinese movie “Ripples of Life,” which premiered in the 2021 Cannes festival’s Director’s Fortnight section, is a much-anticipated movie this month. Part philosophical treatise, part satire, it follows the adventures of a production crew at Yong’an Township, where a local restaurant owner finds excitement to be a movie star.

Audience members will also enjoy the Chinese drama “Everything Is Unknown” starring veteran actor Francis Ng and talented actress Ren Suxi. The movie centers on a man in Macao who returns to his hometown in a South China village to inherit his father’s legacy. There, he reunites with his former lover, encounters his daughter he has never met, and finds out some residual memories and intricate secrets.

Hosted by the Publicity Department of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the CPC, the Shenzhen Art Film Screening project is a monthly event in which movie enthusiasts are invited to appreciate art films by charging only 20 yuan for designated screenings and to exchange ideas with outstanding young filmmakers at some of the events.

Ticketing: WeChat miniprogram “百老汇影城”

Venue: Broadway Cinematheque, 5/F, MixC World, Nanshan District (华润万象天地五楼深圳百老汇电影中心)

Metro: Line 1 to Hi-tech Park Station (高新园站), Exit A