Woman-Demon-Human (Ren gui qing)

Three different women play three periods in the life of a successful actress in modern-day classical Chinese theater, whose hallmark role is as a male demon, Zhong Kui.

Flashbacks take place as she applies the makeup for this role, and bring the story of her life (from the 1950s to the 1980s) to light, beginning with the sacrifice her loving peasant father made to ensure that she got the attention she needed to be a success on the stage.