Following the Cantonese opera films "White Snake" and "Madam Xian", the third installment in the "Cantonese Opera Film Innovation Trilogy", "Samsui Women", officially began filming in Guangdong on April 13th. The film focuses on the true history of women from Sanshui, Guangdong, who crossed the seas in the 1920s and 1930s. Known as "red headscarf" workers, these women supported their families through hard work and contributed to Singapore's urban development. Their stories have been included in local textbooks. Their pioneering spirit in venturing overseas vividly reflects the Guangdong spirit and the character of Lingnan culture.

Liu Jiajia, the film's chief producer, revealed that while preserving the essence of Cantonese opera, the production team will also pursue innovation in audiovisual storytelling. She outlined three key features of the film: "First, we achieve a further upgrade in aesthetics, integrating modernism and avant-garde styles. Second, we adopt a dual narrative structure, breaking away from the conventional storytelling mode of traditional opera films. And third, we use the film as a bridge for cultural exchange to promote traditional opera culture overseas."

Zeng Xiaomin, a leading Cantonese opera artist with extensive experience in opera films, plays the female lead, Lu Daihao, in "Samsui Women". She said, "This time, we focus on ordinary people living in the Lingnan region." She added that in terms of vocal design, the film will blend traditional melodic patterns with newly composed music, while performances will place greater emphasis on emotional depth and a closer connection to real life.

The film will bring to the screen the true history of women from Sanshui who traveled overseas and contributed to Singapore's urban development, documenting this cross-border story of Chinese perseverance through cinematic storytelling. It represents not only a deeper exploration of Lingnan culture, but also another step in sharing Chinese stories with the world.

粤剧电影《红头巾》开机，讲述广东三水妇女出海往事

继粤剧电影《白蛇传·情》《谯国夫人》之后，“粤剧电影创新三部曲”的第三部《红头巾》4月13日在广东正式开机。该片将镜头对准上世纪二三十年代广东三水妇女远渡重洋的真实历史——“红头巾”女工以柔弱肩膀撑起家乡亲人的生活，用双手参与新加坡城市建设，事迹已被载入当地教材。这群女性敢为人先的出海故事，正是广东精神和岭南品格的生动写照。

影片总制片人刘佳笳透露，团队在保留粤剧精髓的同时，也将在电影视听表达上追求突破。她举例影片的三重特色：“一是美学的又一次升级突破，影片融合了现代主义、先锋派等美学风格；二是在剧情结构上，将采用双线叙事结构，跳出传统戏曲片的叙事模式；三是以《红头巾》为文化交流传播的桥梁，推动传统戏曲文化出海。”

已凭借多部戏曲电影积累丰富银幕经验的粤剧名家曾小敏，在《红头巾》中饰演女主角卢带好。她说：“这一次，我们聚焦岭南热土生活的平凡百姓。”她透露，在唱腔设计上，则会“融合传统曲牌与新曲创作，人物表演更注重内心层次，也更贴近真实生活”。

影片将把三水女性远渡重洋、参与新加坡城市建设的真实历史搬上银幕，以影像的方式记录下这段跨越国界的华人奋斗篇章。这不仅是岭南文化的深度开掘，也是中国故事又一次走向世界的探索。

文｜记者 李丽
图｜主办方提供
译｜曾敏
英文审校｜柯妃娟