Nanking (2007 film)
| Nanking | |
|---|---|
 Nanking film poster | |
| Directed by | Bill Guttentag Dan Sturman |
| Written by | Bill Guttentag Dan Sturman |
| Produced by | Ted Leonsis |
| Starring | Rosalind Chao Woody Harrelson Mariel Hemingway Jürgen Prochnow |
| Cinematography | Stephen Kazmierski Buddy Squires |
| Edited by | Hibah Sherif Frisina Charlton McMillan Michael Schweitzer |
| Music by | Bill Marshall |
Release date | 2007 |
Running time | 88 min |
| Country | US |
Nanking (Chinese: 南京) is a 2007 documentary film about the 1937 Nanking Massacre in China.
The films draws on letters and diaries from the era as well as archive footage and interviews with surviving victims and perpetrators of the massacre. Contemporary actors play the roles of the Western missionaries, professors, and businessmen who formed the Nanking Safety Zone to protect the city's civilians from Japanese forces. Particular attention is paid to John Rabe, a German businessman who organized the Nanking Safety Zone, Bob Wilson, a surgeon who remained in Nanking to care for legions of victims, and Minnie Vautrin, a missionary educator who rendered aid to thousands of Nanking's women.
Production
The film was conceptualized and funded by former AOL manager Ted Leonsis.
While on vacation during the Christmas of 2005 in St. Bart's, Leonsis read The Rape of Nanking after seeing the obituary for the book's author, Iris Chang. The book inspired Leonsis to research the massacre further and eventually lead to his creation of the film project.
Leonsis has expressed his desire for the film to be released theatrically, as well as on DVD, television, and cable. He also expressed interest in making the film available for free online, saying "I'm not worried about piracy. I want people to share the movie."[1]
Release and reaction
Nanking was accepted to the Sundance Film Festival in January, 2007. The film has since been nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.[2]
Japanese filmmaker Satoru Mizushima called the film a "setup by China to control intelligence," and plans to release his own documentary in which the massacre is portrayed as merely political propaganda.[3]
See also
- Shiro Azuma
- Iris Chang
- Japanese war crimes
- The Truth about Nanjing, upcoming Japanese right-wing film
References
- ^ Thompson, Anne (2007-01-22). "Web mogul spends his money on Nanking documentary". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 2007-01-25.
- ^ Nanking (Awards and Nominations details) at IMDb
- ^ Jun, Hongo (2007-01-25). "Filmmaker to paint Nanjing slaughter as just myth". The Japan Times.
- "William Guttentag". Stanford Graduate School of Business Faculty Pages. Retrieved 2007-01-25.
External Links
- Official website
- Ted Leonsis blog: "'Nanking' accepted at Sundance Festival"