Shadow Magic
Overview
Beijing, 1902: an enterprising young portrait photographer named Liu Jinglun, keen on new technology, befriends a newly-arrived Englishman who's brought projector, camera, and Lumière-brothers' shorts to open the Shadow Magic theater. Liu's work with Wallace brings him conflict with tradition and his father's authority, complicated by his falling in love with Ling, daughter of Lord Tan, star of Beijing's traditional opera. Liu sees movies as his chance to become wealthy and worthy of Ling. When the Shadow Magic pair are invited to show the films to the Empress Dowager, things look good. But, is disaster in the script? And, can movies preserve tradition even as they bring change?
Shadow Magic at a glance
Shadow Magic is a 2000 drama and history film directed by Ann Hu, starring Jared Harris, Xia Yu and Liu Peiqi. It runs for 1 hour 56 minutes. TMDB users rate it 5.9 out of 10 from 10 votes.
Shadow Magic isn't on a subscription service right now, but you can rent or buy it from the stores listed under Where to Watch. If you enjoy it, try Munich - The Edge of War, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Shattered Glass next.
Where to Watch
Availability data from JustWatch
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