''Zhuangzi Tests His Wife'' () is a 1913
Hong Kong drama film directed by
Li Minwei
Lai Man-wai (; September 25, 1893 – October 26, 1953), also romanised as Lay Min-wei or M.W. Ray, considered the "Father of Hong Kong Cinema", was the director of the first Hong Kong film ''Zhuangzi Tests His Wife'' in 1913. In the film, Lai p ...
. It is the earliest feature film of
Hong Kong cinema, and the only film made by the Huamei (Chinese-American) Studio, which was co-founded by Benjamin Brosky, who had sold his
Asia Film Company The Asia Film Company was the first film production company in China.
History
The Asia Film Company was established in Shanghai in 1909 by American businessman Benjamin Brosky, and was the first company to produce dramatic films in China. They wer ...
in Shanghai, and Li Minwei. The film was never screened in Hong Kong. Brosky brought the film to the United States,
and it became the first Chinese film to be shown abroad when it was exhibited in the Chinese communities of
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. It is based on the
zidishu play "The Butterfly Dream" written by Chunshuzhai.
Cast
Li Minwei stars as the wife of Zhuangzi, and Li Minwei's wife Yan Shanshan (1896-1951) became the first Chinese film actress, playing a servant girl.
*
Li Beihai
Li, li, or LI may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Landscape Institute, a British professional body for landscape architects
* Leadership Institute, a non-profit organization located in Arlington, Virginia, US, that teaches "political te ...
... Zhuangzi
*
Li Minwei
Lai Man-wai (; September 25, 1893 – October 26, 1953), also romanised as Lay Min-wei or M.W. Ray, considered the "Father of Hong Kong Cinema", was the director of the first Hong Kong film ''Zhuangzi Tests His Wife'' in 1913. In the film, Lai p ...
... Zhuangzi's wife
* Yan Shanshan ... Servant Girl
Background
Fourth century BCE Zhuangzi (or Zhuang Zhou), one of the two defining figures of Chinese
Taoism
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of Philosophy, philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of China, Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmo ...
, based his philosophy on all things changing, and the perception of truth depending on the context under which it exists. Throughout history, his teachings have been particularly favored by Chinese scholars and artists, many of whom were inspired by Zhuangzi's philosophy.
Plot
In other media
{{Unreferenced section, date=August 2022
Operatic versions of ''Zhuangzi Tests His Wife'' have been performed on stage by the
Peking Opera and others.
![Zhuangzi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Zhuangzi.jpg)
Most operatic versions end with Zhuangzi burying his wife after she commits
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
for being disloyal to her husband. But this version tackles the story from a different angle. While Tian Shi still ultimately kills herself, Zhuangzi turns her and himself into butterflies and then, eventually, into dust.
See also
*
Cinema of Hong Kong
*
List of Hong Kong films
References
External links
Zhuangzi Tests His Wifeat
Internet Movie Database
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
Chinese silent films
Hong Kong black-and-white films
1913 films
1913 drama films
Chinese black-and-white films
Chinese drama films
Films set in the Warring States period
Silent drama films