Wham! 10 Days in China
| Wham! 10 Days in China | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Mike Christie |
| Produced by | Alice Popplewell |
| Starring | |
| Edited by | Xanna Ward-Dixon |
| Distributed by | White Light |
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Language | English |
Wham! 10 Days in China is an upcoming documentary film about the English musical duo Wham!, focused on their 1985 visit to China.[1] Directed by Mike Christie and produced by Supercollider of the Zinc Media Group in partnership with Sony Music, the 90-minute film consists of "newly restored footage" and personal interviews with Andrew Ridgeley, "members of the touring party", and fans.[2]
Background
In 1985, Wham! performed in China as part of their 1984–85 tour – the Big Tour. The duo, which consisted of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, became the first Western pop group to visit the country.[3] During their 10-day visit, the duo performed concerts in Beijing and Guangzhou on 7 and 10 April respectively.[4]
Director Lindsay Anderson was approached to film Wham!'s visit and peformances for a home video release.[5] A version of the film (entitled If You Were There) was cut by Anderson, but was rejected by the group, who thought that it focused more on everyday life in the Communist-ruled country rather than the duo themselves.[6] Eventually, Anderson was dismissed, and Michael and director Andy Morahan took over to re-edit the film, which would be renamed Wham! in China: Foreign Skies.
Foreign Skies premiered at Wham!'s farewell concert on 28 June 1986. After public screening of Anderson's cut was blocked by Michael and his estate, If You Were There was finally screened publicly at the BFI Southbank twice in May 2024, with the co-operation of George Michael Entertainment and Ridgeley.[7]
References
- ^ "Zinc Media Group's Supercollider launches "WHAM! 10 Days in China"". Señal News. 5 March 2026. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ Creamer, Jon (4 March 2026). "Supercollider preps Wham in China feature doc". Televisual. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ "How Wham! brought the West to China". BBC News Online. 24 March 2005. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ Sinclair, Paul (7 March 2026). "New Wham! in China documentary on the way". SuperDeluxeEdition. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ Kelbie, Paul (18 April 2006). "How Wham! made Lindsay Anderson see red in China". The Independent. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ Tryhorn, Chris (7 July 2023). "Dead dogs, capitalist critique and only four songs: when Wham! squashed Lindsay Anderson's China film". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ Sinclair, Paul (3 May 2024). "Unseen Wham! documentary to get first public screening". SuperDeluxeEdition. Retrieved 14 March 2026.