Peony Pavilion

The film depicts the fates and friendship of two women, one of them a Kunqu opera singer. Kunqu opera is a highly acclaimed traditional performing art of China that features exquisite singings and presentations. The film is based upon the true story of a Peking Opera virtuoso Gu Jing-qiu, her childhood and her rise to fame. The story develops in Suzhou in the 1930s. Cui Hua, the famous performer of a courtesan in Peony Pavilion marries into a rich family. She develops a dubious relationship with a female cousin, Lan, a modern woman who wants to be independent, who is interested in politics and who is eager to serve her country. However, all her plans go astray when love intervenes and the relationships between the three leading characters become too complicated…