Details

Release year: 2025

Storyline

During the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, postman A Chang posed as a photo developer, helping Japanese forces while secretly sheltering Chinese refugees. He later risked his life evacuating them and revealing evidence of the atrocities.

Top credits

Directors

Ao Shen

Writers

Cast

Haoran Liu — Su Liuchang
Chuan-jun Wang — Wang Guanghai
Ye Gao — Lin Yuxiu
Xiao Wang — Jin Chengzong

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Did you know

• The film is loosely based on the discovery of a key piece of evidence from the Nanjing Massacre. In 1938, 15-year-old darkroom apprentice Luo Jin secretly compiled photos of the atrocities-taken by Japanese soldiers-into an album and hid it. The album was later discovered by Wu Xuan, another Chinese civilian, who preserved it for years before handing it over to postwar authorities.

• Director Ao Shen Ao Shen reveals that the film's core inspiration came from the dual meaning of the English word "shoot"-both "to fire a gun" and "to take a photograph." He explained: "In war, invaders use 'shoot' to conceal atrocities, while civilians use 'shoot' to document the truth. These two acts may seem parallel, but they represent a life-and-death confrontation."

• The director intentionally casts actors from diverse regions (Southern, Northern, Nanjing natives, and outsiders) to reflect Nanjing's role as a cultural crossroads. He encourages dialect performances, inspired by his grandparents, who communicate perfectly despite never losing their distinct regional accents.