Oppenheimer director attends Beijing screening

After the premiere screening, Nolan sat with Chinese television host Ji Xiaojun, who served as the English broadcaster for the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and shared the stories of the movie, which was skillfully filmed in a combination of IMAX 65 mm and 65 mm large-format film.

Nolan recalled that he was well acquainted with the history and story of Oppenheimer, the American physicist who led the Manhattan Project — responsible for producing the first atomic weapons— during World War II.

“There was a reference to the idea that they (the scientists engaged in the weapon project) could not completely eliminate the possibility of a chain reaction from the first test at Trinity (code name for the project) that would destroy the world,” he said.

“To me, that seemed like the most dramatic story I’d ever heard—that these scientists, knowing there was this possibility, however small, went ahead and pushed that button and conducted that test. So, I became fascinated by the idea of bringing the audience into that room and being there for the Trinity test, of being there to take that risk on behalf of the entire world,” explained more from Nolan.

The iconic director will also attend a special screening of Oppenheimer in Shanghai on Aug 24.