HKUST Summer Jam 2024 - Movie Screening and Sharing: Pai Niang Niang: The Last Osmanthus Blossom 《白娘娘：一朵遲桂花》放映及分享

The program will show the documentary Pai Niang Niang: The Last Osmanthus Blossom, followed by a sharing session with the film director Isabel Wong and the creative team and a short performance by UPO and Gordon Lee (harmonica) of selected original music pieces written for the musical.

Pai Niang Niang: The Last Osmanthus Blossom is a documentary bringing back to life the creation and production of the first ever Chinese-language musical, Pai Niang Niang, featuring Rebecca Pan 潘迪華 in the roles of the original playwright, singer and performer in the debut of 1972. Rebecca Pan used Broadway musical model to adapt the well-known Chinese Legend of the White Snake, blending Eastern and Western theatrical styles, which was groundbreaking in the 1970s.

Thanks to the rediscovery of a partial film record of the 1972 stage performance, the documentary was produced with the footage attached as the finale, restoring the glamour of the diva at the climax of her dazzling career that has spanned over more than half a century.

Synopsis

In March 1972, Rebecca Pan self-financed the production of the first ever Mandarin musical, Pai Niang Niang (1972) and performed for 60 times at Princess Theatre, Tsim Sha Tsui. This is not only a piece of history of Hong Kong art and culture, but also the most important milestone of Rebecca’s oeuvre. This work used the Broadway musical model to adapt the famous Chinese myth Legend of the White Snake. Bringing together Eastern and Western theatrical styles, the production combined Chinese traditional music, dance, costume and stage design with modern Western concepts. Despite this bold attempt, the resulting work was ahead of its time and was not a commercial success. Also, it was thought to have not been captured on film and faded into obscurity. In April, 2024, however, a partial film record of the performance was miraculously discovered. The restored surviving footage has become the finale of this documentary, Pai Niang Niang: The Last Osmanthus Blossom. 

This documentary is directed by director Wong Tsui-wah, Isabel. During the years of observation and excavation, Isabel has been looking for various aspects of Pai Niang Niang, and through this documentary, she recorded every detail of Pai Niang Niang.

故事大鋼

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。

About the Director

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 Wong Tsui Wah, Isabel

資深電影及電視編劇、紀錄片導演及策展人

 黃翠華曾任職電視台，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。