Hong Kong Palace Museum

To accompany the special exhibition “Cartier and Women”, we are presenting as part of the HKPM Movies series two selected documentaries about outstanding women in the creative industries—Havana Divas and Golden Gate Girls —from July to August.

The documentaries tell, respectively, the less-known stories of two Cuban performers of Cantonese opera and Hong Kong’s first female director. Through these biographical films, we celebrate these women’s unwavering commitment to art and life, as they overcame the various cultural and language challenges facing them.

Havana Divas will be shown in July, followed by Golden Gate Girls in August.

Details

Date & Time	Havana Divas 9 July 2023 (Sunday) 2:00 pm–3:40 pm 16 July 2023 (Sunday) 2:00 pm–3:40 pm (cancelled due to Adverse Weather Arrangement) 23 July 2023 (Sunday) 2:00 pm–3:40 pm Golden Gate Girls 6 August 2023 (Sunday) 2:00 pm–3:30 pm 13 August 2023 (Sunday) 2:00 pm–3:30 pm
Venue	The Hong Kong Jockey Club Auditorium
Tickets	Free admission by online pre-registration
Language	English, Cantonese and Putonghua, with traditional Chinese and English subtitles.

Film

Havana Divas

Director: S. Louisa Wei | 96 mins

Caridad Amaran and Georgina Wong Gutierrez were born in Havana, Cuba and trained in the art of Cantonese opera from a young age. Caridad’s mentor was her Chinese foster father, Julian Fong, who moved from Canton to Cuba in the 1920s after his family forbade him from pursuing opera. Georgina’s father was a famous tailor in Havana’s Chinatown, who encouraged her to learn Kungfu and lion-dance. Despite not being related by blood, Caridad and Georgina formed a strong sisterhood on stage.

Caridad grew up in prosperous Havana in the 1930s and 1940s. With her beauty and melodious voice, she became a popular leading actress (“faadaan”) in Chinese communities in Cuba, while Georgina often played as the role of a young man (“siusang”). After the 1959 Cuban Revolution, Caridad worked as a cashier, while Georgina become a diplomat. Following their retirement and well into their sixties, the two sisters resumed practising Cantonese opera. In their eighties, they embarked on a journey across the ocean to continue sharing their love for Cantonese opera with audiences in China.

Golden Gate Girls

Director: S. Louisa Wei | 90 mins

The history of filmmaking has long been dominated by male directors, particularly before the 1950s. Stories of female pioneers in the field, while just as fascinating, are often untold. This film tells the story of Esther Eng (1914–1970), a San Francisco native who became Hong Kong’s first female director. Eng was active in film production before and after the outbreak of the Pacific War and directed ten Cantonese talkies between 1937 and 1961.

Age Limit

Suitable for age 6 or above

An adult must accompany any person under the age of 12.

Remarks

Please enter the Museum through the Palace Academy (LG/F). For any changes to the arrangement, please refer to the information in the Museum on the day of the event.
Please arrive at the Palace Academy 20 minutes before the performance begins for admission.
Registered visitors have to arrive before the performance starts to confirm their place. The Hong Kong Palace Museum reserves the right to release any unconfirmed places to walk-in visitors. A limited number of walk-in slots will be available on a first-come, first-served basis to visitors.
The organiser reserved the right to make changes to the programme without prior notice.
Exhibition Ticket Arrangement: This registration is for the captioned programme only. To visit the exhibition, please click here.

Enquiries

Programme Enquiries:
[email protected]

Inclement weather arrangements

Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal / Typhoon Signal No. 3

If hoisted within three hours before the event starts, the event will be cancelled. Participants may register for another session.
If hoisted during the event, the event will continue. If it cannot continue as planned, it will be cancelled and participants may register for another session.

Typhoon Signal No. 8 or above

If hoisted three hours before the event starts, the event will be cancelled. Participants may register for another session.
If hoisted during the event, the event in progress will NOT continue and participants may register for another session.

The Hong Kong Palace Museum reserves the right to reschedule or cancel events with or without refunding participants.

Hong Kong Palace Museum | HKPM Movies: Havana Divas and Golden Gate Girls

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HKPM Movies: Havana Divas and Golden Gate Girls

Details

Film

Havana Divas

Golden Gate Girls

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