Chinese sci-fi epic links past and future

An upcoming Chinese science fiction film is drawing attention for blending the nation's space history with an imaginary future, as filmmakers and scientists gathered earlier this month for a series of preview screenings to discuss the legacy of China's space program.

The Decisive Moment, directed and co-written by Zhang Disha, follows two intertwined timelines set in 1970 and 2035. Through a rescue mission spanning 65 years, the film connects the pioneering generation of China's aerospace scientists with a future era of deep-space exploration.

Speaking at a promotional event, Zhang said China's rapid advances in aerospace technology had given the creative team the confidence to tell an ambitious science fiction story grounded in reality.

Screenwriter Hu Xiaoxi added that extensive historical research inspired the film's central premise of "the past saving the future". He said that he and his colleagues had been deeply moved by the stories and spirit of generations of scientists, and that this had inspired them to imagine a story in which the sacrifices of the past continue to shape the future.

Actor Huang Bo, who plays astronaut Zheng Tongzhou, said his character represents the collective efforts of generations of researchers rather than the achievements of a single individual. He noted that today's thriving aerospace industry did not emerge out of thin air, but was the result of generations working together and carrying the mission forward.

Liu Cixin, the first Asian writer to win a Hugo Award, praised the film for weaving together history and the future while paying tribute to Dong Fanghong-1, China's first satellite, launched in 1970.

One scene in the film pays tribute to Liu himself. It features a 7-year-old boy, called Xiao Liu, holding a kerosene lamp and looking up at the night sky as Dong Fang Hong-1 streaks across the heavens — a quiet homage that bridges generations, much like the film itself.

The film will open nationwide on Aug 1, following advance screenings in 30 cities.