Remarks: 7:30 pm
Cheng-Sim Lim, Chief Curator, Dunhuang Projected and China Onscreen Initiatives, UCLA Confucius Institute
Tina Anckerman, Film Archivist, National Library of Norway
Screening: 8:00 pm
B&W with tinted scenes
Chinese and Norwegian intertitles (simultaneous English-language translation)
Live musical accompaniment
Running time, 60 minutes
Free admission | Advance ticket required
Tickets available July 21
In 1927, Chinese film pioneer Dan Duyu made what is believed to be the first screen adaptation of one of the most enduring classics of Chinese literature, Journey to the West. Dan's The Cave of the Silken Web, once thought lost, was rediscovered in 2011 and preserved by the National Library of Norway. This rare cinematic treasure will have its Los Angeles premiere in an outdoor screening at the Getty Center with live musical accompaniment.
On their journey to India to procure Buddhist scriptures, pious monk Xuanzang and his three disciples Monkey, Pigsy, and Sandy are besieged by spider demons disguised as beautiful maidens. Besides the special effects-aided supernatural feats, Chinese silent star (and Dan's wife) Yin Mingzhu lends a beguiling modernity as the spider queen.
This event is made possible by the generous support of Li Lu and Eva Zhao, the Li Lu Humanitarian Foundation.
This screening complements the exhibition Cave Temples of Dunhuang: Buddhist Art on China's Silk Road.
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