M+ Cinema winter edition

M+ Cinema strives for diverse viewing experiences that enrich audiences’ encounters with and appreciation of visual culture. In dialogue with the Special Exhibition Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China, “Once Upon a Time in Beijing” presents a selection of films that reflect a transitioning Chinese society as presented onscreen to the world, including iconic blockbusters The Last Emperor (1987) and Farewell to My Concubine (1993); a piercing true-life inspired drama M. Butterfly (1993); and more independently produced films such as The Troubleshooters (1989), Beijing Bastards (1993), and For Fun (1993).   

This edition’s “Special Screening” features works by filmmaker Hu Bo. Hu’s widely-acclaimed posthumous four-hour film An Elephant Sitting Still (2018) and the programme “Glimmer in the Cracks: Short Films by Hu Bo” demonstrate the fertile beginnings of a precocious talent.

The recurring series “Afterimage” continues to present boundary-crossing documentaries and essay films, such as Riar Rizaldi’s “earth trilogy”, short films by Ayoung Kim, and Binibining Promised Land (2010) by Köken Ergun. “Rediscoveries” will showcase the 4K restoration of Lars von Trier’s scandalous classic The Idiots (1998) and Allen Fong’s innovative docudrama Just Like Weather (1986). “Afterimage”’ and “Rediscoveries” are supported by CHANEL.

M+ Cinema also presents “Makers and Making”, spotlighting the fashion industry with House of Cardin (2019), which pays homage to the trailblazing designer Pierre Cardin, and Jia Zhangke’s Useless (2007), a poignant and humanistic three-part story about the Chinese garment industry. “Stair in the Dark” presents ‘Eye Tunes’, an ongoing film series at the museum’s Grand Stair featuring musical films amplified by unforgettable melodies and captivating scores, such as Blue Velvet (1986) by David Lynch, 20,000 Days on Earth (2014) by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, and Dust of Angels (1992) by Hsu Hsiao-ming.