Shedding light on a dark chapter of history
Many filmmakers are reflecting on the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre, in which about 300,000 Chinese people in the then-capital (known as Nanking) were killed by invading Japanese troops.
While Ted Leonsis' Nanking is scheduled to hit Chinese cinemas this month, his Chinese counterparts are also working on films that delve into this dark chapter of the Japanese occupation of China.
Hong Kong director Stanley Tong, who is known for directing several Jackie Chan films, is preparing for the filming of Diary (working title), a story that delves into the savagery of the 1937 atrocities.
Tong was first inspired to shoot the film after visiting the memorial hall to the victims in Nanjing. What he saw moved him so deeply that a weeping Tong vowed to bring this history to life onscreen. But he has yet to set a specific timetable for filming.
And Hong Kong director Yim Ho's film is a $35 million English-language production that has garnered Hollywood investment.
Yim's Nanking Chirstmas 1937 revolves around a group of foreigners who sheltered locals from Japanese brutality.
Filming would start around December and is expected to last for four months. The crew will spend at least three months in Nanjing, which is now the capital of Southeast China's Jiangsu Province.
Yim is now trying to cast international superstars, including Tom Hanks and Nicole Kidman.
Rising mainland director Lu Chuan's Nanking Nanking would start filming in August, after completion of the five-month approval process. The cast is yet to be announced.
China Daily
(China Daily 07/06/2007 page20)
