China Film Week underway in Tehran

The 4th China Film Week is currently underway in Tehran, having kicked off on Monday, September 23.

The event, which runs through September 27, shows five recent Chinese films. 

Organized by the Farabi Cinema Foundation, the event highlights the growing cultural and cinematic ties between Iran and China.

The opening ceremony took place at the foundation’s venue in downtown Tehran, featuring the screening of the war drama ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin’ (2021), co-directed by Chen Kaige, Dante Lam, and Tsui Hark. 

With a production budget of $200 million, ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin’ is China's most expensive film to date. It grossed $913 million globally, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 2021, and the top-grossing Chinese and non-English film ever.

Starring Wu Jing and Jackson Yee, the film portrays Chinese forces' victory over U.S. troops during the Korean War in a dramatized account of the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. 

The remaining four films are being shown at the Iranian Cinema Museum in northern Tehran from Tuesday to Friday.

The lineup includes ‘Cliff Walkers’ (2021), a spy thriller by Zhang Yimou; ‘Cloudy Mountain’ (2021), an action-adventure directed by Li Jun; ‘Nice View’ (2022), a comedy-drama by Wen Muye; and the family animation ‘Boonie Bears: Back to Earth’ (2022), directed by Lin Huida. 

‘Cliff Walkers’ follows four Communist Party agents in the 1930s as they navigate a perilous mission after being betrayed.

‘Cloudy Mountain’ tells the story of a father and son trying to save a town from natural disasters.

‘Nice View’ centers on a young man’s efforts to transform his life and save his sister, while ‘Boonie Bears: Back to Earth’ features Bramble, a bear who gains special abilities after encountering an alien object. 

Admission to all screenings during the China Film Week is free for cinema enthusiasts.