Among
Chinese opera forms, Yue Opera is considered second only to Peking Opera in
popularity throughout the Chinese diaspora. It also has a reputation for being
the most demanding. Yet, a group of Chinese-American immigrants, mostly of
retirement age, banded together to form a Yue orchestra and opera troupe. It
had been decades since many had played their instruments with serious intent, but
they still allowed Adam Engel to document their rehearsals and preparations
leading up to their grand debut in the short documentary, The Hua Mei Orchestra (trailer here), which screens
during the first ever Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema.
In
some ways, Engel’s film is also a love letter to Flushing, Queens, a majority-Asian
neighborhood that is fast eclipsing Chinatown as the epicenter of the New York
Chinese-American immigrant community. It is there where many orchestra members
live and where they rehearse in the senior center owned by their benefactor.
However,
those rehearsals appear perilously close to breaking down entirely in the film’s
opening scenes. Eventually, a professional Yue conductor is recruited to firmly
instill a sense of order (and consistent rhythms and tempos). Yet, tensions
remain. In contrast, the opera performers seem to be better prepared.
Not
to be spoilery, but you can rest assured, the music will stay true to those who
honor it, no matter how much time they stayed away. Often, it was hardly a
voluntary decision. Many members of the Hua Mei were persecuted during the Cultural
Revolution or the post-Tiananmen crackdown. Frankly, we wish Engel had more
time to let them tell their stories.
