Director Shen Ao of the hit film "Dead to Rights" said in Beijing on Thursday that the movie aims to remind people to remember history, honor martyrs and cherish peace.
Shen joined other representatives from China's movie industry at a press conference for Chinese and foreign journalists hosted by the State Council Information Office.
Drawing on verified photographic evidence of Japanese wartime atrocities during the Nanjing Massacre, "Dead to Rights" tells the story of a group of Chinese civilians who seek refuge in a photography studio during the brutal occupation of Nanjing by Japanese aggressors.
In a desperate bid for survival, they are compelled to assist a Japanese military photographer in developing film, only to discover that the negatives contain damning evidence of atrocities committed by Japanese forces across the city. Determined to expose the truth, they secretly keep the negatives and risk their lives to smuggle them out to the outside world.
The movie has taken China's summer box office by storm, grossing over 1.8 billion yuan (about 251 million U.S. dollars) in 13 days since it opened in cinemas on July 25, according to data from online ticketing platforms.
According to the director, this film is particularly significant in the current international environment as this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
"Released on July 25 this year, 'Dead to Rights' was produced to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Set in 1937, during the Nanjing Massacre, the film tells how a handful of ordinary citizens used their wits and courage against the invaders to expose their atrocities to the world. I hope this film will help audiences remember history, honor the martyrs, cherish peace, create a bright future and build consensus," he said.
Shen also spoke about the responsibility of Chinese filmmakers to raise the global profile of Chinese cinema.
"Everyone knows that China boasts a vast domestic market, but our generation of filmmakers also bears the responsibility of carrying Chinese films beyond our borders. I think Chinese films need to evolve from merely displaying Chinese symbols to conveying the Chinese spirit. We need to avoid piling up Chinese elements and instead reveal the core values of the Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit," he said.
The Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese troops captured the then-Chinese capital on Dec. 13, 1937. Over the course of six weeks, they killed approximately 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers in one of the most barbaric episodes of World War II.
Hit movie “Dead to Rights” reminds people to remember history, cherish peace: director
