Berlin - It was certainly not the opera that drew leading Beijing-born director Chen Kaige to make a film about a famed 20th century Chinese opera star.

"I'm not a big fan of Peking opera," Chen told a press conference marking the screening of his movie portrait of Mei Lan-fang, who was described during his lifetime as China's greatest actor.

"My interest was Mei himself," Chen said, describing the performer as man who gave everything to his adoring public.

Chen's two-and-half hour epic Forever Enthralled stars Hong Kong pop singer-turned-actor Leon Lai in the title role along with leading Chinese actresses Zhang Ziyi and Chen Hong as well as Japanese star Masanobu Ando.

Forever Enthralled is the only film from an Asian director that is in this year's race for the Berlinale's top honours, the Golden Bear.

In a sense, the story of Mei Lan-fang represents a return for 56-year-old Chen to a familiar theme with his acclaimed Farewell My Concubine also focusing on the stars of the Peking opera.

Farewell My Concubine won Chen the Cannes Film Festival's prestigious Palme d'Or in 1993.

But while Farewell My Concubine told the story of the impact on people's lives of the upheaval unleashed by the Cultural Revolution during the middle of the last century, in Forever Enthralled, Chen moves back another step in Chinese history.

In the movie, Mei Lan-fang's life unfolds against the backdrop of rivalry in the opera as well as the international turmoil during the first half of the last century building up to the occupation of China by the Japanese army.

Interspersed with recreations of Mei's performances, the singer's story is impressively told through Chen's direction and the movie's cinematography.

Forever Enthralled and Concubine complimented each other, said Chen. "They are twins," he said.

Portrayed in Chen's film as a humble and respectful man, Mei refuses to be used as a propaganda tool of the Japanese occupying army.

"It was the turning point in his life," said Chen, who is a member of the so-called Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers, who began their movie-making careers during the chaos of Mao's Cultural Revolution.

But despite Mei's enormous significance as a cultural and to an extent political figure in Chinese history, Chen insists that he was not subject to any official interference when making his film.

"No-one really bothered me in the way I made the film," Chen said.

However, 56-year-old Kaige concedes that it was not easy making the film because Mei's son is still alive and he had to be respectful of his wishes and concerns.

Chen's Forever Enthralled comes in the wake of his less-than-successful 2005 epic fantasy film The Promise.

Despite Beijing's interest in promoting itself as a global filmmaking powerhouse, Chen believes that the movie business in China is still at an early stage.

"As far as cinema in China is concerned we have a long way to go," said Chen. "It is slowly maturing."

Chen's Farewell My Concubine's success helped to bring China's fifth generation directors to world attention.

His Forever Enthralled might do the same again for Chinese cinema today. (dpa)