Plots(1)
In 1997, documentarian Allan Miller embarked on a film project with renowned conductor Zubin Mehta and celebrated Chinese film director Zhang Yimou as they joined forces in a production of Puccini's opera Turandot in Florence. Before the year was out, an extraordinary opportunity arose: to stage Turandot in its original setting in the Forbidden City of Beijing. The outdoor production was an undertaking on an epic scale--including the expansion of the site with the construction of huge new sets, the creation of breathtaking hand-sewn Ming Dynasty costumes and the adding of hundreds of soldiers and local extras, to lend a lavish authenticity to the staging. A fascinating chronicle of an unprecedented cross-cultural collaboration, THE TURANDOT PROJECT combines the pageantry of this opulent opera production with a spectacular cinematic portrait of the struggles and triumphs of Zubin Mehta and Zhang Yimou to mount their production in this most historic venue of China. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Cast
Yimou Zhang
China
Best movies:
Red Sorghum (1987)
Keep Cool (1997)