Posted by Joseph Brouwer | Jul 20, 2021
One of Fang Fang’s most outspoken detractors had a change of heart when those she had maligned came to her aid. Li Dan, a 31-year-old woman from Sichuan, used to attack Fang Fang and her supporters incessantly. She was not alone. After Fang Fang began documenting life under lockdown in Wuhan, nationalists across China took to the internet to denounce her as a traitor. One even put up a big-character poster once used to tragic effect during the Cultural Revolution announcing, “I will personally use the chivalrous ways of the Chinese people to come and attack and cut you down, Fang Fang.”
Listen Before You Sing (聽見歌再唱) employs almost every device from the handbook of heartwarming and inspirational drama. While it works as evidenced from the sniffles in the theater it also results in a cliched and predictable production, albeit one that is hard to dislike.
It’s even more moving that the plot is based on the true story of Aboriginal Bunun educator Bukut Tasvaluan and his Vox Nativa choir, which went from a ragtag group to a highly acclaimed outfit showcasing Aboriginal culture and singing techniques while fostering pride and confidence in its members. They have won numerous awards, and