French director hails 20 years of ties with Chinese operas

PARIS — French theater director Patrick Sommier is devoted to passing on the true meaning of Chinese operas which, according to him, are an assembly of all art forms, to the French public.

On the occasion of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France in 2004, Sommier was invited to collaborate on a joint project with the Beijing Vocational College of Opera and Arts to take Peking Opera to France.

Sommier says that when he arrived in China, like many other Europeans, he had plenty of cliches about Chinese opera, "magnificent costumes, multicolored makeup, and extraordinary acrobatic movements".

The beauty of Peking Opera quickly captured his heart, he says.

Recalling his first collaboration with the BVCOA, Sommier says he was impressed by the vigor of the actors behind the makeup and costumes, and the characters of incredible strength from the Chinese classics that reminded him of Greek tragedies.

He was also touched by the Chinese professors who passed their knowhow to their students by acting with them, which is different to the way things are done in the French theater world, he adds.

"In China, opera is an art requiring lifelong devotion and actors are the embodiment of the opera."

Sommier began delving into different performance forms and advocated for introducing traditional Chinese operas to the French audience.

Following his suggestion, the BVCOA staged a series of innovative performances in 2005, the first half featuring professors and students collaborating onstage without makeup or costumes, the second half showcasing students performing classics like Farewell My Concubine in a traditional manner.

The performances drew over 22,000 spectators, and more than 7,000 French students participated in the workshops on Chinese opera makeup and body gestures.

Sommier expresses his hope that the audience truly understand the beauty of Peking Opera instead of just watching it with a "tourist gaze", focusing on the "exoticism" of the art.

"Theater is not a product to consume but a real cultural meeting and an approach toward what we do not know. Apart from pleasure, it should intrigue people to make a bit of effort to understand unfamiliar things."

In 2010, Sommier extended his cooperation with the BVCOA and brought the newly created version of the Chinese classic The Water Margin to the stage.

Over the years, he has continued to discover and promote different Chinese operas. In the southeastern city of Quanzhou in Fujian province, he was fascinated by Liyuan Opera, which he says was the best he'd ever seen.

In 2014, on the occasion of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, Sommier took Liyuan Opera to Paris and many other European cities on tour.

Last year, he published his book, Ximi (Theater Enthusiast), dedicating a significant portion of it to recounting his experiences with Chinese operas.

Noting that "theater constitutes another step" toward Chinese culture and that "the image of China is underrepresented in the world", he says, "the differences between Chinese operas and French theater enrich the public's view and thus enrich the image of a country".

The year 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. It's also the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism. Numerous bilateral cultural events, including theater shows, are scheduled.

Having served as a cultural courier between both countries for two decades, Sommier hopes that the French and Chinese will impress each other with high-quality shows.

Xinhua