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Cinema reframes wartime memory

New Chinese films challenge false narratives to ensure truth and accuracy remain paramount in describing the history of resistance against aggression, Xu Fan reports.

Updated: 2025-08-19 08:02 ( China Daily Global )

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A still from Dongji Rescue, a film depicting Chinese fishermen saving British prisoners of war from a sinking Japanese cargo ship in 1942.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Industry insiders say these productions reflect Chinese filmmakers' commitment to updating global audiences' understanding of China's role in achieving victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, while also asserting the nation's voice in shaping historical narratives.

In today's world, where some still try to distort history and justify acts of aggression, these films stand as a forceful rebuttal to historical nihilism, comments Li Zongyuan, curator of the Museum of the Communist Party of China, at the Beijing premiere of Mountains and Rivers Bearing Witness.