Upcoming film to show the love of a Red Army general

A film inspired by the wartime love story of Red Army general Chen Yi'an and his wife Li Zhiqiang will start shooting in Xiangyin county of Hunan province in May.

Born in Hunan in 1905, Chen graduated from the Huangpu (Whampoa) Military Academy, China's first and most renowned academy.

He participated in some of the Communist Party of China's most important efforts in the early years of revolution, including the Autumn Harvest Uprising in 1927 and the struggle to establish China's first rural revolutionary base in Jinggangshan in Jiangxi province.

In July 1930, Chen was appointed to command the Party's front-line battles against the Kuomintang in Hunan's capital Changsha. During a conflict to cover the major troops of the Red Army's Third Regiment's retreat, Chen was fatally wounded. He was then 25 years old.

A blank letter was later sent to his wife, as Chen once told his wife it would mean he had already left the world and wished for the young woman to be strong and continue her life.

Their love story has inspired the film Wu Zi Jia Shu (A Blank Letter Sent Home), directed by veteran filmmaker Zhang Zhong. 

Zhang revealed during a Beijing press event the screenwriters have traveled to Chen's hometown in Xiangyin county to conduct research since early 2020, interviewing a lot of people, including Chen's relatives.

"This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of Communist Party of China. We hope the film can help audiences learn more about the Party's history," Zhang said.