"TOKYO trial," a Chinese film portraying the court proceedings against Japanese war criminals, will be shown in cinemas and about 100 universities across the country today to mark the 75th anniversary of the start of Japan's invasion of China.

Theater tickets for the general public will cost 10 yuan (US$1.30), half the normal price, and students, service personnel, teachers, lawyers and judges will enjoy further discounts, Yan Wei, media liaison director for the distributor, Oriental Film and Television, said yesterday.

"Tokyo Trial," shot by Chinese director Gao Quanshu, recounts the court proceedings against 28 top Japanese war criminals at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East after World War II.

Gao said the film shows how a Chinese judge involved in the case managed to sway the opinion of an international panel of 11 judges to "narrowly avert a miscarriage of justice."

Chinese Judge Mei Ru'ao gave the final speech after two years of court proceedings, charging the defendants with stealing Chinese resources and crimes against humanity. He secured a six-vote majority for death penalties for the seven class-A war criminals, including Hideki Tojo, the army officer and politician who ruled Japan during the war years.

"The movie evokes patriotism and the pursuit of peace, rather than stirring hatred between China and Japan," said Mao Shi'an, a Shanghai movie critic.

The low-budget film boasts a star-studded cast. Hong Kong veteran Kenneth Tsang plays a Chinese prosecutor and Damian Lau a judge. Taiwan star Kelly Lin portrays a Japanese girl who falls in love with a Chinese journalist, played by Taiwan heartthrob Ken Zhu.