Nanjing Massacre film "Dead To Rights" has debuted in Washington, D.C. and Toronto, resonating deeply with the audience on remembering history and treasuring peace.
The film centers on a group of Chinese civilians who take refuge in a photography studio during the Japanese aggressor troops' brutal occupation of Nanjing in 1937. In a desperate attempt to stay alive, they are forced 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. They secretly kept the negatives and risked their lives to deliver them to the outside world, hoping that the truth would be revealed.
The wartime movie had a premiere in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, with China's Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng attending the event and delivering remarks. Xie said the film serves as a constant reminder of the cruelty of war and the preciousness of peace, urging people to learn from history and work toward a better future.
After the screening, audience members said they were deeply moved, with many saying they were still processing the emotional impact.
"The film vividly portrays the real scenes of that time through the lens of a photo studio. The director and actors are all top-notch. I think there should be an English version -- and not just English, but multiple languages -- so the truth of the Nanjing Massacre can be publicized to the whole world," said veteran media professional Huang Jieping.
In Canada, more than 700 people attended premiere events in Vancouver, Ottawa, and Toronto.
"[I am] so shocked, I did not know that this happened to the Chinese during World War II. It was hard to look at some of the scenes, they were so real. This movie felt so real to me. It was painful at some times, but I think it needed to be said," an audience member said on the sidelines of the Toronto premiere on Thursday.
"I feel deep sorrow for what my compatriots endured back then, and have strong indignation toward the Japanese aggressor troops' acts. I think every country should remember its own history," said another viewer.
The Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese aggressor troops captured Nanjing -- then China's capital city -- on Dec. 13, 1937 and brutally killed around 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers in over six weeks, making it one of the most barbaric episodes of World War II.
Film depicting horrors of Nanjing Massacre debuts in North America
