A controversial poster of Cairo Declaration, a historical film depicting a milestone event during World War II. (Photo/China News Service)
The Cairo Declaration, a historical film depicting a milestone event during World War II, will be first screened on September 3, the day of Beijing's military parade.[Special coverage]
The film starts with the information received by agents of Japan's attack on the Pearl Harbor. It shows the life of Chinese people during the war, as well as their contribution to the anti-Fascist war.
According to Yu Zifei, production manager of the film, more than 150 actors and actresses from China, the United States, Britain, Germany, Russia, Italy and Japan were involved in the production.
"We respect history, and are trying to recreate that important event," said Wen Deguang, director of the film.
DIRECTOR ON CONTROVERSIAL POSTERS
The Cairo Declaration was the outcome of a meeting by leaders from the United States, Britain and China on November 27, 1943, when they decided future military operations against Japan. They also agreed that territories taken by Japan before the war should be returned to China.
Posters of the film have caused controversy as soon as they were released.
One shows China's late Chairman Mao Zedong. It was put alongside two other posters showing American President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill respectively. Many accused the posters of distorting history, because Mao didn't participate in the Cairo Conference.
Internet commentators mocked the posters by creating their own versions containing figures such as well-known British character Mr. Bean.
Wen Deguang told reporters from ifeng.com, website for Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV, the use of posters by the promotion team was "improper", but the film itself was serious.
"No one would or dare to tamper with historical facts, let alone facts of such an important event," he said.
"You cannot judge the quality of a film simply by its posters," he added.
He told ifeng.com that the actor playing Mao had his part finished within four days, while the one playing Chiang Kai-Shek, leader of the Kuomintang (KMT) who convened with Churchill and Roosevelt in Cairo, worked for one and half a months on the film.
"We have more posters than those released, including one of Chiang," Wen said, adding that he had no idea why that poster was not released.
More Chinese are giving credit to the KMT for its contribution fighting Japanese invaders during WWII.
Debut of the film coincides with the date of China's military parade in Beijing, an important event to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
Kuomintang (KMT) veterans have also been invited to take part in the parade.
Japan signed its formal surrender on September 2, 1945, but KMT forces led by Chiang Kai-shek, were defeated in a civil war by the Communist Party of China and fled to Taiwan in 1949.
"The Cairo Declaration is of great importance, marking a beginning when China gained worldwide recognition," Wen said. "With the document, we get back the territories ceded to aggressors before the war."
Wen, 49, is also the director of the Chinese brush, ink and paper-making performance at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
