Bamboo Theatre 2019
Plot Synopsis
While permanent theatres are commonly built in most cosmopolitan modern cites, Hong Kong preserves a unique form of architecture, a Chinese tradition that has lasted more than a century - Bamboo Theatre, a makeshift, open-air and the bamboo shed built and fixed by plastic straps and without any heavy-duty materials. During festivities in the villages, they will invite Chinese opera troupes to perform ritualistic opera in the temporary theatre constructed in front of the temple, in order to express their gratitude to the Chinese gods they worship. Spirits, ghosts and gods were the primary audiences. This film follows ritual practices in various villages and remote islands of Hong Kong for two years. It is the portrait of this traditional cultural space, how they were build and dismantled, and also the collaborative work of performers, stage managers and wardrobe masters. It allows audiences to observe multiple corners of the space, and the variety of ways in which people make use of it.