A documentary by a Japanese director following life in Wuhan after the worst-hit Chinese city by COVID-19 was declared virus-free has been a major hit since it was released online last month. Among its fans is the spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zhao Lijian.
The film was very touching as it depicts people's life in a plain, sincere and heart-warming way, Zhao said when asked what he thought of the film "Long Time No See, Wuhan" during a press conference on Friday.
"The film demonstrated the life in Wuhan after being hit by the coronavirus from ordinary residents' perspective. It also shows the resilience and optimism of Wuhan residents. That's why so many people in Japan and China are so deeply touched," he added.
Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. /CFP
The 60-minute documentary, by Takeuchi Ryo, chronicles 10 days in the life of 10 ordinary Wuhan residents recovering from the extraordinary events that have played out in the city since late last December.
It has racked up 25 million views on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, since it was released on June 26.
Wuhan was the epicenter of the outbreak in China. The entire city was locked down for 76 days starting January 23 – the day before the Lunar Chinese New Year when people are supposed to reunite with family.
Takeuchi said he hopes to present a real image of Wuhan to the audience through his camera. "Wuhan is a city with very good people and very delicious food. Go to visit the city, you won't be disappointed. That's what I wanted to tell everyone," Takeuchi said during an interview with Changjiang Daily.
This is Takeuchi's second film about the pandemic in China. The first, "Emergent report: A city sees no more new confirmed cases," was filmed in March in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, where the director is based and records the measures the city had taken to combat the outbreak.