A Chinese movie that revisits the horrific World War II-era human experiments conducted by Japan's notorious germ warfare unit 731 is expected to become the next blockbuster in the country, leading a diverse lineup in the upcoming National Day film season.
To be premiered on September 18, the film "Evil Unbound" recounts the bacteriological warfare waged by Japan's infamous Unit 731 and the inhumane human experiments on Chinese civilians during the Japanese aggression in China.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Films centered on the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression have seen a rise in interest amongst audiences.
"'Evil Unbound' has already surpassed 29 million yuan (over 4 million U.S. dollars) in total pre-sales revenue, making it undoubtedly the most anticipated film of September," said Huang Xuanyu, marketing manager of Omnijoi International Cinema.
Unit 731 was a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research facility established in the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin in 1935. It served as the nerve center of Japanese biological warfare operations in China and Southeast Asia during World War II. At least 3,000 people were subjected to human experimentation by Unit 731.
The film sheds light on this dark chapter of history and the inhuman acts committed by the invading Japanese army.
This year's National Day holiday film season will start on October 1 and features a diverse lineup.
"The Volunteers: Peace at Last" is the concluding chapter of acclaimed director Chen Kaige's war epic trilogy, set in the later stages of the Chinese People's Volunteers to fight the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953) , revisiting historical moments.
Fantasy film "A Writer's Odyssey II" blends reality and fiction with gripping narrative and stunning visual effects, with the film promising an immersive cinematic experience.
The animated feature "Three Kingdoms: Starlit Heroes" offers a fresh perspective on the historical Three Kingdoms era (220-280). Combining traditional ink-wash aesthetics with historic storytelling.
"Evil Unbound" to lead September box office ahead of National Day film season
China's 16th Arctic Ocean expedition achieved the country's first video call spanning the North and South Poles on September 25, coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival, using a domestically developed satellite system with a delay of no more than one second.
The expedition deployed four vessels -- Xuelong, Xuelong 2, Jidi, and Tansuo 3 -- to study extreme environmental changes in the Arctic amid accelerating global warming. On September 29, China's research icebreakers Xuelong and Xuelong 2 returned to Shanghai after completing their missions, while Jidi and Tansuo 3 continue their expedition tasks and are expected to return in mid-October following a three-month journey.
The expedition team held a satellite video conversation with China's Antarctic Qinling Station, extending festive greetings to their polar scientific research counterparts and testing a large-scale constellation designed to provide global broadband internet and support integrated space-Earth 6G networks.
"This is the first time that China has used a domestically developed communications satellite system to make a video call across the largest latitude span," said Liu Feng, a senior engineer at the National Marine Data and Information Service.
The around-13,000-satellite GW constellation, led by China Satellite Network Group (SatNet), is China's first mega low Earth orbit satellite internet project. During the polar test, the maximum uplink and downlink speed reached around 30 megabits per second, equivalent to taking about 10 minutes to download a 1GB file. The equipment can also be used for emergency rescue and maritime communications.
"During the test period, it also supported real-time communications among Xuelong, Jidi, Tansuo 3, the National Marine Data and Information Service and the Polar Research Center. After Jidi and Tansuo 3 entered ice zone operation areas, their communication could not be guaranteed. So file transfers and navigation logs had to be transmitted through the SatNet equipment," said Zhang Bin, an engineer at the National Marine Data and Information Service. The successful test of the domestically produced satellite communication equipment marks China's independent control over polar region communications. The equipment ensures that data remains within the country, effectively safeguarding data security.
China holds first video call between North, South Poles via homegrown satellite system
