The Children of the Beijing Opera

As conceived and shot by Christian Dumais-Lvowski and Don Kent, this documentary marks one of a very few to provide rare insights into operatic education in China. The film enters the Beijing Opera School, carrying the audience through a "typical day for students" that includes performances; rehearsals; makeup lessons; courses in music, acrobatics and dance; and much more. What emerges is a portrait of an educational system so rigid and hyper-disciplined that it could give American military academies a run for their money.