(Leica X1)
Showcased at the West Kowloon Bamboo Cinema (opening session ended yesterday) are the Portraits of Cantonese Opera done by Michael Wolf, a photographer born in Munich and 
currently living and working in Hong Kong. A two-time winner of the World Press Photo Award Competition in 2005 and 2010, he has been engaged in photographing various aspects of Chinese cultural identity and local urban architecture.
In this Portraits of Cantonese Opera, Mike utilises his lens to capture the essence of Cantonese opera and its locally celebrated performers, documenting the specificity and individuality of each character and their costumes. His approach of juxtaposing the tradition of Cantonese opera against the backdrop of the old neighbourhood conveys his reflection on the city and its diverse cultural contexts.
The Bamboo Cinema was a one-off project, now finished, to provide spectators with performances at the old-day price. Cantonese opera performed in the setting of a bamboo cinema is a traditional art form combining music, martial arts, drama and architecture. An embodiment of linguistics, literature and entertainment of the Southern China Lingnan culture, Cantonese opera has officially been inscribed into the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and remained China's first batch of intangible cultural heritage.
The author had the privilege to attend the grand opening performances at the theatre. But regrettably, in the bag was only the Leica X1 fitted with the 35mm lens. Sitting next to the author were lots of shutterbugs busy clicking the shutter release. That's a slight imperfection of the night.
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