Popular dance drama 'The Eternal Wave' adapted into film
The immensely popular dance drama "The Eternal Wave" unveiled a movie adaptation named "Red Radio Over Shanghai," which has been announced as the opening film for the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival.
As the Shanghai Dance Theater's signature production, "The Eternal Wave" debuted in 2019 and has since scaled the popularity charts nationally.
It later became a resident show at Shanghai's Majestic Theater, and more than 600 performances of the drama have been staged across the country in the past few years.
Recently, director Zheng Dasheng adapted the drama into a film, which he describes as a "90-minute silent film."
"Because the dancers don't talk, I need to mobilize as many audio-visual languages as possible," said Zheng.
The film recorded the dance performance, as well as newly filmed dance sequences and documentary sequences to explain the historical background. There are also shots of the audiences sitting in the theater.
The film features shots of audiences sitting in the theater.
"The Eternal Wave" is based on the real story of Chinese revolutionary martyr Li Bai. Along with wife Qiu Lanfen, the couple risked their lives for 12 years as they secretly passed information over the radio waves. They witnessed the death of numerous comrades. Eventually, Li sent out the last telegraph before bravely sacrificing his life.
The story was made into a film in 1958. When the Shanghai Dance Theater was creating the dance drama, the performers took that old film as reference when studying their characters.
"Red Radio Over Shanghai" souvenirs
"I watched that film when working on the dance drama," said Shanghai Dance Theater principal dancer Wang Jiajun, who plays the role of Li.
"As for this new film, we are not copying the old film, but putting into it our own thoughts and expressive style."
Another principal dancer of the theater Zhu Jiejing plays the role of the wife.
"We dancers usually carry very straightforward facial expressions like happy, sad, or angry," she said. "But acting in a film requires more, and this was quite a learning experience for me."
Zhu Jiejing plays the role of Lanfen.
The crew built a real-life home for the couple in the story at Shanghai Film Park in Chedun Town, suburban Songjiang District. Many furniture items, including curtains and bed sheets, were selected and arranged by Zhu and Wang according to their living habits, so that the two of them could be more comfortable when acting.
"Red Radio Over Shanghai" has been announced as the opening film for the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival, which kicks off next month.
It will meet national audiences in cinemas on June 18.
