Tsui Hark’s Peking Opera Blues returns to screens in a new 4K Dolby Atmos restoration, and the remastered version was screened at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival.
The event was sponsored by Italian jeweler Bvlgari, which partnered with SIFF on the initiative.
The restoration was carried out by L’Imagine Ritrovata, a Bologna-based film archive. Based on the original source film elements, the lab completed a full 4K scan, followed by 150 hours of painstaking digital work on each individual frame. This process adjusted brightness, contrast, and saturation for stability and clarity while preserving the original film grain and cinematic texture. On the audio side, the source soundtrack has been digitally cleaned up and remixed to a new Dolby Atmos configuration designed to preserve the original sonic signature.
“The restoration was a dual challenge: preserving the film’s unique Oriental operatic aesthetic and the unique textures of 1980s Hong Kong cinema, while repairing the scratches and color deterioration using modern technology,” said Davide Pozzi, director of L’Imagine Ritrovata.
Released in 1986 and directed by Tsui Hark, Peking Opera Blues has long been considered a landmark in Chinese-language cinema, known for its Peking Opera-derived aesthetic and three female protagonists. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the film’s release. Actress Sally Yeh, one of the film’s stars, attended a pre-screening forum held prior to the screening.
“I am deeply moved to see that 40 years later, this work has been restored and is about to appear on screen again,” Yeh said. “Of all the roles I’ve played in my career, this one feels the closest to me.”
This year marks the sixth year of SIFF and Bvlgari’s partnership. The brand previously supported the restoration of Cleopatra in 2013. Chen Guo, managing director of Shanghai International Film and Television Event Center, said this cooperation goes beyond the restoration itself and includes film screenings and cultural exchanges.
“By preserving and revitalizing our film heritage, we hope to bring these classic works to a wider audience and inspire a lifelong love of film,” Chen said.
