--- --- # Chinese film on Nanjing Massacre makes U.S. debut  _This content was paid for and prepared by China Daily, an official publication of the People's Republic of China. The TIME editorial and advertising departments were not involved in the creation of this content._ Poster of Dead to Rights. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY By MINGMEI LI A film depicting the Nanjing Massacre premiered on August 5 in Washington, D.C., inviting local audiences to reflect on one of the darkest chapters of World War II. The film, set during the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, tells the story of a group of Chinese civilians who find refuge in a photo studio during Japan’s occupation of the city. Their sanctuary is disrupted when they are forced to assist a Japanese military photographer while uncovering photographic evidence of mass atrocities. Risking their lives, they hide the negatives and launch a daring effort to preserve the truth. Inspired by authenticated wartime photographs, Dead to Right is more than just a cinematic retelling — it carries significant historical and educational value, said director Shen Ao. Its U.S. premiere comes ahead of the film’s wider international release on August 15, with openings planned in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore and other countries. The film has topped box office charts in China and is one of the country’s most prominent overseas releases since the success of Ne Zha 2. While the film’s original Chinese title translates to Nanjing Photo Studio, its international title, Dead to Right, evokes not only the undeniable photographic evidence of Japan’s invasion, but also the resilience of the Chinese people through resistance. According to Shen, the title carries a deeper message of a commitment to remembering the past while forging ahead with courage. Shen expressed hope that audiences around the world will learn about this history. “This was an extremely moving performance here today — I mean, it’s a real tearjerker,” William Jones, Washington Bureau Chief of Executive Intelligence Review, said after the screening. “Very important, given the fact that we do have the anniversary this year. This is something people are not aware of here in the United States — at any rate, to the extent that they should be — and hopefully this film will help build that opinion.” Jones said he was particularly struck by the narrative thread built around photography in the film. “I think the important thing was the theme of the photographs running through the film, which I think gave it a focus of a type that got people to understand how this happened and how it was revealed. And I think that was a very important story that people really didn’t know,” he said. “This was also shocking. But throughout the film, just the brutality of the whole situation and the people involved in it, their bravery — the bravery of the Chinese people in the movie — and the atrocities conducted by the Japanese were really terrible.” “It’s also important that Americans understand the reality of World War II, in which we were working together with countries like China, to defeat the kind of brutality that we saw in this film.” Though unfamiliar with the story beforehand, Nolan McDougal, manager of the local AMC Theater, said that he was intrigued after learning the film centered on the Nanjing Massacre. “I actually remember doing a project on that back in high school or college. Now that I know this movie is about that, I would definitely watch it," he said. "I didn’t realize it was part of the anniversary of World War II. That definitely adds more weight. I mean, World War II was nasty, but at least countries like America, China and the U.K. were working together to stop it.” “I’m not super familiar with a lot of Chinese movies,” said McDougall, “but I remember the older ones — like Kung Fu. I still have those on DVD. It was fun seeing everybody. The whole lobby was packed. People were asking, ‘Why is it so busy on a Wednesday?’ and I said, ‘It’s this movie that’s blowing up in China.’” “Sometimes Chinese movies get overshadowed by Disney and the big titles, but this one looks like it could sell out, like Ne Zha 2 did. The posters were really well done — I didn’t get to see them until today, but now I want to watch it,” he said. 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