Telling a Chinese story against an international backdrop

Mike Medavoy was born in Shanghai. He grew up in the city before moving to Hollywood and beginning a 50-year career as one of its most successful producers with 300 films - and 18 Oscar nominees, including, most recently, Black Swan - under his belt.

Medavoy seems to have a special affinity for the city that provided his Jewish family with shelter in the chaos of war. After producing Shanghai, the 2010 thriller starring John Cusack, Gong Li, Ken Watanabe and Chow Yun-fat, Medavoy is developing another "property", Hollywood parlance for a possible film, based on a Chinese novel.

A Jewish Piano is set in Shanghai during World War II and focuses on a Jewish family escaping war in Eastern Europe and ending up in the tumultuous Chinese metropolis. Penned by Shanghai writer Beila, the pen name of Shen Lei, the story has everything required for a Hollywood-style epic, according to Medavoy. But on top of the majestic sweep spanning 40 years and the turmoil of history, it is essentially a tragic love story akin to Titanic, explained Medavoy. It has the potential to transcend races, or national boundaries. One can even say the story has that ability built-in.