Published : 24/05/2024

On May 24, 1993, "Farewell My Concubine", a Hong Kong-Mainland co-produced movie directed by Chen Kaige and starring Leslie Cheung, Gong Li, and Zhang Fengyi, won the highest honour, the Palme d'Or, at the 46th Cannes Film Festival in France.

"Farewell My Concubine" is adapted from a novel of the same name by Hong Kong writer Lee Pik-wah, also known as Lilian Lee.

The story spans several decades, from the 1920s which was during the Republic of China (1912-1949) period, through the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Civil War, to the Cultural Revolution and the Reform and Opening-up.

In the film, Leslie Cheung plays Cheng Dieyi, who was sold to a Peking opera troupe by his mother when he was young, and later made a name for himself in the play "Farewell My Concubine" with Duan Xiaolou, played by Zhang Fengyi.

Cheng Dieyi, who plays Yu Ji, is entrapped in his role and develops a forbidden obsession with Duan Xiaolou, who plays the King, which ultimately leads to a tragic fate.

"Farewell My Concubine" is the first and so far the only Chinese-language film to win the Palme d'Or, and it is considered one of the greatest Chinese-language films of all time.

In addition to the Palme d'Or, "Farewell My Concubine" also swept more than a dozen international awards, including the Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globe Awards, and was even nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 66th Academy Awards.