A detailed introduction to the film Nanjing

Translation name: Nanjing

Director: Bill Gutenberg. Bill Gutenberg

Dan Sturman

Screenwriter: Bill Gutenberg. Bill Gutenberg

Dan Sturman

Producer: Mike Jacobs

Type: documentary

Duration: 88 minutes

Release date: July 3, 2007 (China)

Distribution: Huaxia Film Distribution Company

Recommended index: ★★★★★★★

abstract

The blood, tears and humiliation of the Holocaust should not and cannot be forgotten. The Nanjing Massacre is a pain in the hearts of China people. The documentary "Nanjing", which is called "Schindler List of China" by Americans, premiered in the mainland yesterday, and most of the reporters present were in tears. A female reporter who graduated from Nanjing University even quit halfway.

Nanjing is the first documentary to review the Nanjing Massacre from the perspective of foreigners, which has attracted the attention of the whole world since its creation and caused a sensation at this year's Sundance Film Festival in the United States. When the media watched a movie in Shanghai yesterday, it also shocked every reporter. Dan Sturman, one of the directors, once said: "I hope to avoid typical documentary techniques, such as being told by one expert after another and showing a large number of still photos, but I hope to bring profound shock to the audience through the emotional power conveyed in the performance and film." There are stories of Holocaust survivors in the film, various audio-visual and written materials collected from six countries, and even a 40-minute video shot by a westerner named john mackey with a 16 mm camera and other precious materials, which greatly shocked all the audience, especially the content directly expressing Japanese atrocities in the short film was rated as "one of the most chilling clips in Nanjing". In addition to the information display, in order to show the extremely authentic and infectious letters, diaries and other precious documents of German john rabe and American Minnie Woqin (Woqin committed suicide shortly after returning to the United States), the director also invited Jorgen ProSi Nuo, Woody Helson, mariel hemingway and many other Hollywood stars to play the role of witnesses in the film and read these transcripts.

A brief review of movies

Memory has weight. In Sophie's Choice, Sophie died when she told Stingo the memory of Auschwitz. In the real world, Zhang Chunru, a female writer in China, finished the forgotten massacre and chose to commit suicide. But today, who will bear the burden that he can't bear? Anyway, just like an American director named Steven Allan Spielberg used a Schindler's List to carry Auschwitz's memory, three Americans, Ted Leonsis, Bill Guttentag and Dan Storman, used a Nanjing to remind us of the history of the Holocaust.

Premiere grand occasion

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre, the documentary "Nanjing", which was invested by American companies and told about the Nanjing Massacre from a western perspective, officially premiered in Beijing this afternoon. At the press conference before the screening, a survivor of the China Massacre told her tragic experience. Linked to the exposure of Japanese atrocities in the film, unlike the sensational skills of drama films, "Nanjing" made many viewers cry with its simple memories and real historical images.

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Director of Nanjing: Unfortunately, the Japanese veterans interviewed have few regrets.

The documentary "Nanjing" directed by American missile Bill Gutenberg will be officially released nationwide from today. Bill Gutentag appeared in Guangzhou the day before yesterday (July 5) and told a little-known behind-the-scenes story.

Nanjing is the first documentary to review the Nanjing Massacre from the perspective of foreigners. The main plot revolves around a dozen westerners in China, including several American missionaries and a German businessman, headed by Ms. Hua Qun. They risked their lives and used their influence in Nanjing to establish an international security zone in Nanjing in February 1937, which protected the safety of 250,000 people in China.

In early 2005, Ted Leonsis, the filmmaker and vice president of AOL, saw the obituary of Zhang Chunru, the author of The Forgotten Massacre: 1937 Nanjing Massacre, in an old The New York Times. Later, he bought Zhang Chunru's book and read Rabe's diary. "After reading these materials, I was completely shocked. I didn't expect such terrible cruelty to happen in the 1930s. I think Zhang Chunru's eyes are telling me that more people must know this history, so I decided to invest in this film. "

Director Bill Gutentag didn't know much about this history at first. He told reporters that he and Ted shared the same wish: I hope more people can understand this history.

The documentary "Nanjing" directed by American director Bill Gutenberg was shown in Yangfei Studios in Guangzhou the day before yesterday (July 5th). Consul General, cultural consul of Japanese, Finnish, Dutch, Thai and Singaporean consulates in Guangzhou watched the film with some audiences, and then exchanged views with the director. Director Bill Gutentag revealed that so far they have not received any opinions from Japan and agreed to show Nanjing in that country.

Memory! Looking for precious historical data of various countries

Before talking about China, many directors had made films about the Nanjing Massacre. In this regard, Bill Gutentag said that he had hardly seen these films, but he knew that China director Lu Chuan was about to start filming "Nanjing"! Nanjing! I met Lu Chuan in Beijing, and I think he is a very talented director. I believe that movies will be equally shocking.

At the same time, Bill Gutenberg believes that there should not be only one such theme, just as Schindler's List should not be the only film reflecting German history. I believe there will be more movies reflecting the Nanjing Massacre in the future.

Nanjing attracts people's attention because of a large number of real historical pictures, documents and records of Japanese holocaust witnesses left by westerners in those years. These materials were found by the film crew in China, Japan, South Korea, Canada and the United States for two years. Among them, a 40-minute historical fragment that truly recorded the horror of the Nanjing Massacre first appeared on the screen. In addition, the film crew also went to many countries and interviewed nearly 80 survivors of the Nanjing Massacre and Japanese veterans of that year, which truly restored the darkest days.

Forget? Japanese veterans seldom regret it.

Regarding the shooting in Japan, director Bill Gutentag said that he shot the film from a neutral perspective, but he still encountered unexpected difficulties in the whole shooting process. There are three Japanese crew members among the crew. In the middle of filming, three people asked to quit. "Maybe it's because of some pressure." The Japanese actor who plays a Japanese military officer also received death threats on his blog.

However, the supervisor said that these resigned employees were all older, and the later reorganized working group was all young people from Japan, and everyone cooperated well.

However, the director regrets that only 7 of the 250 veterans they interviewed in Japan expressed remorse. When some veterans recall this history, they only remember that the first day in Nanjing was very hot and they just wanted to drink water. In addition, to the director's deep regret, there are fewer survivors in this history, less than 500 people. It may be easier to collect information five years ago.

Honor! The audience's tears are higher than the awards.

It is understood that "Nanjing" has been released worldwide, with China and other Asian regions as the first stops, and the United States will also release the film on a large scale in the second half of the year, but Bill Gutenberg said the day before yesterday (July 5), "There is no distributor in Japan to buy it, and I personally hope to be able to release it in Japan. I made this film just to present the truth. "

Nanjing premiered at Sundance Film Festival in the United States on June 5438+ 10, and won the best documentary editing award. In April, he won the best humanitarian film at the Hong Kong International Film Festival; In June, there were two screenings at the 10th Shanghai Film Festival, and the venue was full. Compared with the awards, director Bill Gutenberg was more moved by the audience's reaction. He said that when the film was shown at the American Film Festival, many people who didn't know this history bought tickets to see it. At that time, an audience of the Royal Japanese Army held his hand and cried.

Regret! There is no hope that the film will be shown in Japan.

In addition to acting in the above film festivals, the director also applied to take the film to the Tokyo Film Festival in June 65438+ 10 and the Oscar next year. He himself won two Oscars for best documentary. Unfortunately, his application to attend the Tokyo International Film Festival has not yet received a response from Japan.

However, the director stressed that although Japan is afraid that the subject matter is too sensitive to accept this film, he believes that there are still groups in Japan who want to see this film, especially teenagers. At the same time, he emphasized that his works are not anti-Japanese, but anti-war films. If the Japanese admit this history as soon as possible, it will also be good for their future development.

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