Farewell My Concubine, 霸王別姬, 1993, Chinese mainland / Hong Kong

Renowned director Chen Kaige's melodrama "Farewell My Concubine" is a pinnacle of Chinese cinema. It is the first and only Chinese-language film to win the prestigious Cannes Palm d'Or to date. To many people, the film remains the crown jewel of Chinese cinema.

Adapted from Lilian Lee's novel with a stellar cast including Leslie Cheung, Gong Li and Ge You, the epic film tells a story of ups and downs of two Beijing Opera actors amidst the great social and political turmoil that China witnessed from 1920s to 1970s. It covers the devastating period of the Culture Revolution (1966 to 1976) which leads to a tragic end of the drama. More interestingly, it discusses the topic of homosexuality, which is rare in Chinese cinema.

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