Free Films

Nanking

Every week we like to trumpet the fact that Tuesday is half-price movie day at cinemas across town (see times and prices for today below), today however we can inform you about a free screening of Nanking, the American-made docudrama dealing with the 1937 Japanese invasion of Nanjing. The film was released early this year to limited box office success in China and is the first in a bunch of new films inspired by Iris Chang's Rape of Nanking.

The documentary tells the story of a group of foreigners living in Nanking (known today as Nanjing) who during the 1937 invasion set up a safety zone to protect Chinese refugees from the looting, killing and rape inflicted by the invading Japanese forces.

Nanking intersperses archive documentary footage with scenes of American actors giving dramatic readings of firsthand accounts of this turbulent time in Chinese history. Featuring performances from Woody Harrelson and Mariel Hemingway and coming from the Oscar winning documentarian Bill Guttentag, the film focuses on the stories of the survivors.

AOL vice-chairman Ted Leonsis told Reuters that the movie "is an anti-war movie, not an anti-Japanese movie." These assurances will not be well received by some Japanese people, as many right-wing politicians insist that talk of a massacre in Nanking is greatly exaggerated.

Denial from Japan on these matter will only get more heated, with the upcoming release of the Hong Kong produced Nanking! Nanking!, which will be an entirely dramatized version of the events, telling the story through the eyes of Chinese soldier, a Japanese soldier and a foreign missionary.

And it won't end there. Simon West, director of action movie Con Air, will direct a USD 53 million film called Purple Mountain also focusing on the events of the invasion, and then there’s another Hong Kong director, Yim Ho, who will also produce a telling of the event with his film Nankin Xmas 1937.

All of these films are appearing in the time running up to the 70th anniversary of the invasion, and with many Japanese refusing to accept culpability for the actions of their army and many Chinese refusing to forget, it will only fuel the tempestuous relationship between the two countries.

Take a look at some reviews here and the official site here.

The film is being shown at Shoudu Shidai Cinema in Xidan at both 3pm (RMB 15) and 10pm (Free). Call 83915195/65 to register. Limited to the first 200 people who book

Rising Sun

Jiang Wen’s eagerly awaited The Sun Also Rises (Taiyang Zhaochang Shengqi) opened at Beijing cinemas this past week. The film narrates the fate of four couples, from the republican era through to modern day China. Directed by Jiang Wen (Devils on the Doorstep) and starring Jaycee Chan, Zhou Yun, Joan Chen and Anthony Wong. In Chinese only. At cinemas across town

Take a look at some reviews here and the trailer here.

Screening Times for English Language Films and The Sun Also Rises in Beijing – Tuesday Sep 18
(All times and prices have been taken from today’s Beijing News or this website – it would be a good idea to call and confirm details)

Dongsishitiao
East Gate Cinema
The Sun Also Rises
10:20 11:30 12:30 13:40 14:40 15:50 16:50 18:00 19:00 20:10 21:10 22:20

No Reservations
10:30 12:20 14:10 16:00 17:50 19:40 21:30
RMB 35

Prey
11:40 15:10 16:40 19:20 20:50 22:30
RMB 35

Haidian
UME International Cineplex
The Sun Also Rises
11:55 14:05 15:15 16:15 18:25 19:40 20:35 22:45

Prey
10:00 11:45 19:10 21:50
RMB 42

No Reservations
12:30 16:30 17:40 18:30 20:30
RMB 42

CBD
Wanda International Cinema
The Sun Also Rises
10:10 11:20 12:10 12:40 13:40 14:30 15:00 16:00 16:50 17:20 18:20 19:10 19:40 21:30 22:00 Digital Screenings: 13:30 17:50 22:10 10:20
RMB 30

No Reservations
10:20 14:40 16:00 18:10 19:00 20:20
RMB 30 before 7pm
RMB 35 after

Shrek the Third
14:20 16:10 19:50 21:30
RMB 30

Wangfujing
Xindong'an Cinema
The Sun Also Rises
09:50 12:00 14:10 16:20 18:30 19:20 20:50 21:30

No Reservations
10:10 12:10 14:20 16:30 18:40 20:40
RMB 20

Prey
11:10 12:00 14:30 16:05 17:25 21:00
RMB 20

Shrek the Third
12:45 17:40
RMB 20

Xidan
Shoudu Shidai Cinema
The Sun Also Rises
10:50 12:00 13:00 14:10 15:10 16:20 17:20 18:30 19:30 20:40 21:40

No Reservations
11:30 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30
RMB 30

Prey
11:30 13:10 14:50 16:30 18:10 19:50 21:30
RMB 30

Art Gallery
Changhong Cinema
No Reservations
12:30 14:30 16:30 18:30 20:30

Prey
12:10 14:00 15:50 17:40 19:30 21:25

The Sun Also Rises
13:00 15:30 18:00 20:30

Landao
Ziguang Cinema
No Reservations
14:50 16:50 18:50 20:50 17:50 19:50

Shrek the Third
1.40, 3.30, 5.20, 7.10 and 9pm.
RMB 40

Links and Sources:
Nanking Official Site
The Sun also Rises Official Site
The Canadian Press: Chinese director casts rising stars in movie about Japanese massacre
Reuters: 70 years on, Nanjing massacre inspires global film-makers
Reuters: Japanese WW2 massacre film premieres in Beijing
Shoudu Shidai: 纪念抗战胜利,免费观看《南京》
The Independent: China's answer to Marlon Brando back with bang after five-year ban
Danwei: Jiang Wen also rises
China Daily: Jiang's place in the Sun
msn: 《太阳照常升起》陈冲扮花痴 台词无厘头观众爆笑