Genre: Drama

Language: Italian with English Subtitles

Director: Ermanno Olmi

Cast: Bud Spencer, Jun Ichikawa, Sally Ming Zeo Ni, Camillo Grassi

Released: 2004

Duration: 95 Minutes

Rating: M contains nudity

Distribution: Palace Films

Winner 2004 David Di Donatello Awards – Best production design, Best costume design & Best visual effects plus 2 nominations

A young man (Davide Dragonetti) gets lost and mistakenly enters a Chinese brothel.  Inside an old sea captain (Bud Spencer) is on the stage recounting the thrilling story about Admiral Ching, the pirate leader, who has been murdered by his own financial backers after attempting to cut a deal with the Emperor.  Surprising everyone, the widow Ching (Jun Ichikawa) boldly takes his place at the head of the fleet, and rejecting the authorities’ offer of clemency, ravages the coast of China.  The young heir to the throne sets out in pursuit of her, personally engaging the widow Ching in a great naval battle.

While the story at the start is played out on the brothel’s stage, the action soon moves to a reenactment of the adventures and battles in full colour and action on the high seas.

Not the usual premise for an Italian epic, this sumptuous new film from legendary realist director Ermanno Olmi is a stunning achievement – both delicate and passionate.  Shot on location on Lake Scutari, ‘Singing behind screens’ is incredibly visionary and wholly intoxicating – a consistently original fable about war and peace, defence and surrender.