Zhang Yimou pays tribute to tradition

"You and Me" was performed at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing over the National Day Holiday.

Chinese director Zhang Yimou.

Peking Opera may not be the first thing that springs to mind when Zhang Yimou is mentioned. But the renowned film director's first foray into the medium has just been staged. "You and Me" was performed at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing over the National Day Holiday.

"You and Me" is a story of filial love inspired by an old royal tale from Chinese history, about a King who was caught in a political conspiracy stirred up by his mother. He punishes her by keeping her in jail for years, but eventually comes to forgive her.

Zhang said, "I've wanted to direct a Peking Opera like this for years. And now my dream has come true. The aesthetic value of Peking Opera lies in its symbolism and conceptual ideas. You don't need to travel the world to depict a journey and you don't need thousands of people to create an army. I hope that 'You and Me' will present such an aesthetic to the public."

"You and Me" stars renowned performers Shang Changrong, Chen Shaoyun, and Li Mingyan. Along with skilled performers, the director has employed various traditional elements including shadow play - which he humbly describes as a "homage" to Peking Opera. But meanwhile, he presents the piece on a modern and imaginative stage setting, perfectly combining both the traditional and the modern.

Zhang said, "It's an homage to tradition, to Peking Opera. But it doesn't mean that it's all about tradition. I use modern techniques to display the traditional aesthetic value of Peking Opera."

Zhang Yimou hopes that Chinese traditions can be showcased in more and more theatre productions.

Zhang said, "Peking Opera won't disappear. It represents the Chinese nation and our culture, it grows in our blood and will be passed down from generation to generation."

Next, Zhang Yimou will be going back to his roots - his next movie "Return" is currently in pre-production.