Encountering the Idol… Again: A Tribute to Cantonese Opera Legend Yam Kim-Fai

Description

Yam Kim-fai (1912 – 1989), also known as Ren Jian, was a Cantonese opera idol in Hong Kong and Mainland China. She is best remembered for her unique ability to sing in the lower register, making her opera voice indistinguishable from a male one. This allowed Yam to play either male or female roles, though she usually performed male ones.

To commemorate the 28th-year anniversary of Yam’s passing, the Hong Kong Film Archive will bring three digitally restored classics back to the silver screen: The gut-wrenching tale of love and sacrifice Tenth Madam To Sinks Her Treasure Chest in Anger (1956), that tells the story of an aspiring scholar who falls in love with a famous courtesan; The Unroyal Prince (1960), a story based on a renowned opera about a prince who has fallen in love with a palace girl, and Law Shing at the Gate (1962), a martial arts opera film inspired by the folk legends of Sui-Tang era warrior Law Shing.