Passing the Torch

This is a documentary about the stories of martial arts actors in Cantonese opera and how it is passed down from generations to generations. Cantonese opera is a globally recognized intangible cultural heritage. Its traditional martial arts actors were apprentices of the Shaolin school, and through integrating of kung fu and opera, it had formed its own recognizable style of performance art and kung fu school. However, due to the change of times, much of Cantonese opera were lost. The Guangdong Southern Martial Arts Research Association organized experts and scholars to undertake rescue archaeology and research the passing down of this soon to be lost traditional Southern Chinese art. Parts and processes of this mission have been reflected in this documentary.