BEIJING, Sept. 15 -- No other Chinese film is like this one. It's a special gift presented by China's film industry to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The film is called "Jian Guo Da Ye" or "The Founding of A Republic".
The film is set from 1945, when China won the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, to the 1949 founding of the People's Republic of China. The film offers the answer to why China experienced another civil war after the Second World War ended and how the Communist Party of China defeated the Kuomintang to form the People's Republic of China.
The film not only recalls the memory of the old generation, but aims to share that history with those who were born in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. This target audience makes up the main force of the cinema market.
Poster of film "The Founding of a Republic".(Photo: english.cctv.com)
An all-star cast is one of the highlights to attract the young viewers. The film boasts the most-ever number of Chinese movie stars in one film. Some domestic A-list actors and actresses only play walk-on parts, and some stars only have one shot or one line in the film. On average, a star will appear every three minutes. It may be Kungfu superstar Jet Lee or Jackie Chan. It may be internationally acclaimed actress Zhang Ziyi, or Hong Kong heartthrob Andy Lau or even a renowned film director like Feng Xiaogang or Chen Kaige. Moreover, many of them who are used to earning top dollar in the industry, perform in this film for free. So, the film is no doubt to be a Chinese blockbuster with the lowest budget for decades before and after the film's first release. Behind the epic is the titan of China's film industry - Han Sanping, the chairman of China Film Group, which is one of the largest distributors of Chinese films. Also, at the helm of the directing team are Peter Chan from Hong Kong, and Huang Jianxin and Chen Kaige from the mainland.
Furthermore, it's the 14th time that Tang Guoqiang will play the role of Chairman Mao Zedong. Now at the age of 56, Tang is just the right age to play Chairman Mao in the year 1949.
"Jian Guo Da Ye" or "The Founding of A Republic" will be released across China on September 17th.
