"Evil Unbound", a film spotlighting the crimes of notorious Japanese germ warfare Unit 731 during World War II (WWII), was premiered in multiple Canadian cities on Thursday.
In Vancouver, the premiere event attracted over 200 moviegoers, including attendees from the Chinese Consulate General in Vancouver, overseas Chinese, and representatives from Chinese enterprises.
"Evil Unbound" was released on Sept. 18, the 94th anniversary of the September 18 Incident of 1931, which marked the start of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in China's war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
At the premiere, Zeng Zhi, Acting Consul General of China in Vancouver, stated that Sept. 18 is a day of special significance. The film's premiere on this day serves as a call to remember history and cherish peace.
"This film focally bears witness to the countless crimes committed by Japanese invaders, while also demonstrating the unyielding spirit of the Chinese people [during WWII]. I also believe that the screening today will remind us that we must always face up to history, use history as a mirror, and cherish and call for peace," said Zeng Zhi.
Audience members said that the film holds significant historical value on education, reminding people, especially the younger generation, not to forget history.
"As Chinese people and overseas Chinese, we should never forget that part of history," said He, an audience member.
"Many young people, a large part of the next generation, even don't know about this part of history. So this film is extremely meaningful," said Wu Tong, president of the Northeast China Association of Canada.
International audience members also believed the film helps the world better understand the historical truth and China's contribution to victory of the Anti-Fascist War.
"I hadn't heard about Unit 731 before seeing the publicity about the film. I'm generally aware of the outlines of the history of the Japanese aggression in China and the fact that there were these types of terrible so-called experiments which are actually terrible violations of human rights against all international law. A film like this, I think is important to place things in a better context so that we can understand that the Chinese people played a very key role in this struggle that they were not just victims of Japanese fascism and aggression, but they resisted very powerfully. They made a strong contribution to the defeat of Japanese militarism and this is something that should be remembered," said Kimbal Caridu, president of Vancouver Peace Council.
A Japanese audience member said after viewing the film that she hopes the Japanese people can see similar films, and that Japanese society should not avoid the facts and unilaterally exaggerate and reinforce the so-called "victim of war" narrative, but rather face up to history and engage in deep reflection.
"I would recommend the Japanese people and government to reflect on themselves because for them, for example, the history of atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki or history of the U.S. air raids in the [Japanese] cities [in WWII] is so important to them. In Japan, to mark the 80th anniversary, there are so many events and movies and meetings to remember this history. Why can't you do the same, right? With the people in Nanjing or people who were victimized by the Japanese aggression in China, Korea, Philippines and all the countries, but everything that happens outside of Japan, it immediately becomes anti-Japanese. And that's such a double standard. So I think the Japanese people can try to help themselves to get out of their nationalistic thinking. Try to look at the suffering of the people outside of Japan as a human being," said Satoko Oka Norimatsu, a senior Japanese journalist living in Canada.
Unit 731, a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base in Harbin, the capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, served as the nerve center for Japanese biological warfare in China and Southeast Asia during WWII.
Historical records indicate that from 1940 to 1945, Unit 731 used at least 3,000 people in human experiments, and more than 300,000 people in China were killed by Japan's biological weapons.
Chinese film on Japan's WWII atrocities premieres in Canada
Chinese film on Japan's WWII atrocities premieres in Canada
