War tale gets art-house look

Award-winning director brings a story based on Chinese guerilla force, the Dongjiang Column, to life. Xu Fan reports.

Unlike most wartime movies full of gunfire and explosions, Ann Hui's upcoming feature Our Time Will Come - set during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong between 1941 and 1945 - is different.

In a clip from the movie, actress Zhou Xun, starring as a teacher-turned-fighter, recites lines from Chinese literary master Mao Dun's famous essay Huang Hun (Nightfall), creating an art-house atmosphere, but also giving a hint of the coming turbulence in the new work by the winner of many Hong Kong Film Awards - the best director prize five times.

During her directorial career spanning 40 years, the 70-year-old Hong Kong director has been known for her delicate portrayal of ordinary people's lives with a poetic twist.

Speaking at a recent Beijing event to promote the movie, which was attended by cast members, such as Zhou, Eddie Peng, Wallace Huo, Guo Tao and Li Junjie (better known by her stage name Chun Xia), Hui said: "It's about a chapter of history, which is less known to the public."

The movie is based on the Chinese guerilla force, the Dongjiang Column, and its rescue of more than 800 cultural figures - who lived in Hong Kong in the 1940s - from the Japanese military.

Led by the Communist Party, the column was one of the most significant forces to fight the Japanese invaders in the enemy-occupied areas.

The figures, who safely moved to the column's revolutionary base in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, included novelist Mao Dun, poet Liu Yazi, painter-poet He Xiangning and journalist Zou Taofen.

"Those people (the guerillas) were from ordinary families, but they are all big heroes in my heart," says Hui. "They were not scared of suffering personal loss or sacrificing their lives when the nation needed them."

Speaking about her role, Zhou, while echoing the director, says: "The unprecedented turmoil gave her power and courage to transform into a fighter."

As for Peng, who was recently seen in such action hits as Operation Mekong and Call of Heroes, he again steps into a familiar zone to play a legendary sharpshooter.

Huo, who plays an agent, says his role is versatile as he speaks English and Japanese fluently and knows a lot about ancient literature. "He is also a good chef, and has a sense of humor."

Meanwhile, as a tribute to the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, the film will be screened in mainland theaters on July 1.

Yu Dong, CEO of the Beijing-based producer Bona Film Group, says the film marks Hui's first action movie.

"I am curious to see how an art-house master handles the big action scenes," he says.

"We hope the movie can reach youngsters in China and teach them about the heroes of our country."

Separately, the upcoming 20th Shanghai International Film Festival recently said that the movie is the only shortlisted Chinese entry for the Golden Goblet awards in the main competition.

The remaining seven aspirants are foreign films.

The film will be the festival's opening movie on June 17, despite its theatrical release being around two weeks later.

Contact the writer at xufan@chinadaily.com.cn