The Chinese film 'City of Life and Death,' which depicts the Nanjing Massacre during World War II, was screened in Athens, Greece, on Sunday. Viewers called for worldwide efforts to prevent the tragedy of war from repeating itself and to cherish hard-won peace.
From the perspectives of Chinese military and civilians as well as Japanese soldiers, the film "City of Life and Death" showed the devastation of war on different people after the brutal occupation of Nanjing by Japanese aggressors in 1937.
In Nanjing in eastern China, 300,000 people were killed in just over 40 days when the city fell to Japan during World War II.
"China has a long history and a profound cultural heritage. The Chinese people showed great fighting spirit in the face of aggression. They not only fought for survival but also won the war. They paid a huge price during World War II, suffering a large number of casualties," said Velissarios Kossivakis, director of New Star Art Cinema in Athens.
"We should both learn what we did and what was being done. And this side of the history, Japan tends not to teach us enough," said an audience member from Japan.
The Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was the first to break out and lasted the longest in the World Anti-Fascist War, resulting in over 35 million Chinese military and civilian casualties.
In the main Eastern theater of the global fight against fascism, China's resistance effort was decisive in defeating Japanese fascism and in supporting other fronts in Europe and Asia, profoundly contributing to the final victory and to world peace.
Athens screening of Nanjing Massacre film prompts calls for peace
Athens screening of Nanjing Massacre film prompts calls for peace
