Essay

Split Image

By Aliza Ma

With Center Stage, Stanley Kwan blends formal styles to tell the story of the tragic silent Shanghainese starlet Ruan Lingyu and redefines the biopic.

Essay

When the Stars Align

By Chloe Lizotte

Stanley Kwan’s 1991 masterwork Center Stage unites two preeminent actresses divided by generations, Maggie Cheung and the silent-screen star she embodies, Ruan Lingyu.