ReviewFilm review: The First Monday in May goes behind the scenes at the 2015 Met Gala

Documentary recalls China Through the Looking Glass, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition of Chinese fashion, and shows Vogue’s Anna Wintour planning its A-list fundraiser

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A still from The First Monday in May (category IIA), directed by Andrew Rossi.

Published: 7:03am, 6 Sep 2016Updated: 7:03am, 6 Sep 2016

3.5 stars

Fashion’s status as a legitimate art form and the influence of Chinese art on Western designers are explored in Andrew Rossi’s engrossing documentary about the staging of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s record-breaking 2015 show, “China: Through the Looking Glass”.

The exhibition threw a rare spotlight on the museum’s maligned Costume Institute, giving curator Andrew Bolton the opportunity to show classic collections from designers like John Galliano and Jean Paul Gaultier, while also acknowledging China’s rich cultural heritage.

Wong Kar-wai and his wife n a still from The First Monday in May.

As the show’s artistic director, Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-wai not only guarantees knockout aesthetics but also helps the museum dodge cultural landmines such as placing images of Buddha next to Mao Zedong.

Wong must also serve as a buffer between China’s own cultural delegation, who prove fiercely uncooperative towards a show they perceive as unnecessarily fawning over China’s ancient history.