Beautified Realism: The Making of Flowers of Shanghai

Stepping into the beautiful yet realistic behind-the-scenes world of “Flowers of Shanghai,” the story here breathes and unfolds naturally and organically…the art director purchasing antiques and props at an old flea market, arranging exquisite embroidery and colors to recreate the daily life of Shanghai in the late Qing Dynasty out of thin air; the cinematographer meticulously sculpting light and shadow to capture the gradation of faint light imprinted on the film; the sound designer seizing the rare, quiet moments between the croaking of frogs and the sounds of airplanes and trains. Interweaving the recollections of these individuals, this classic film has come to life again. From Oscar-nominated director Daniel Raim – a veteran filmmaker specializing in documentaries about filmmaking – and in collaboration with producer Eugene Suen, this film uses behind-the-scene footage from 20 years ago. It interweaves it with stories about the film’s preproduction, production, and post-production. This film spans time and space, featuring interviews with such long-time Hou collaborators as Huang Wen-yin, Mark Lee, Tu Du Chih, and Liao Ching-sung. It gives us an intimate look at a master at work and the creation of a seductive, timeless work of cinema.