Nanking

Date: Friday, April 30, 2010
Time: 5:30 P.M
Place: Fresno State, McLane 121

Parking is relaxed after 4 p.m.

Nanking (2007). Directed by Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, this film is a powerful, reminder of the heartbreaking cost of war. The film tells the story of the Japanese invasion of Nanking, China, in the early days of World War II. The Japanese army invaded China’s capital city in 1937, unleashing a horrific onslaught of murder and rape. In the midst of the rampage, a small group of Westerners banded together to establish a Safety Zone where over 200,000 Chinese found refuge. Unarmed, these missionaries, university professors, doctors and businessmen bore witness to the events, while risking their own lives to protect civilians from slaughter.

The story is told through deeply moving interviews with Chinese survivors, chilling archival footage and photos of the events, and testimonies of former Japanese soldiers. At the heart of Nanking is a filmed stage reading of the Westerners’ letters and diaries, featuring Woody Harrelson, Mariel Hemingway and Jurgen Prochnow. Through its interweave of archival images, testimonies of survivors, and readings of first-hand accounts, the film puts the viewer on the streets of Nanking and brings the forgotten past to startling life.

Nanking is a testament to the courage and conviction of individuals who were determined to act in the face of evil and a powerful tribute to the resilience of the Chinese people – a gripping account of light in the darkest of times. 90 min.

Discussant: Robert Wilson (son of Dr. R. O. Wilson, a physician featured in the film)

http://nankingthefilm.com/trailer.htm

CineCulture Club: http://cineculture.csufresno.edu/

CineCulture is a film series provided as a service to the Fresno State campus students, faculty, and staff, and community, at no charge. In addition, CineCulture is offered as a 3 unit academic course in the Mass Communication and Journalism Department. [MCJ 177T, Fall course # 37395].

CineCulture Club promotes cultural awareness through film and post-screening
discussions.

For further information, contact Professor Mary Husain at mhusain@csufresno.edu
Club President: Rory Carlberg roryjc@csufresno.edu
Faculty Advisor: Mary Husain mhusain@csufresno.edu