Art and resistance: A Chinese and Russian tale from WWII

"Ballet in the Flames of War" is a historical war film centered on the joint resistance of China and Russia against Japanese fascism. Based on true events, the story takes place in a border town in northeast China, where over 300 Japanese soldiers refusing to surrender after Japan’s invasion was defeated. These soldiers massacred local Chinese villagers and attacked the Soviet forces.

The film follows a romance between a Chinese man and a Russian woman brought together by their shared love of ballet, set against the backdrop of war. It also traces the intertwined fates of three families from China, Russia and Japan, offering a human perspective on the devastation of conflict.

Directed by Dong Yachun on the Chinese side and overseen by acclaimed Russian filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov, the film is a collaborative work that blends historical drama with artistic storytelling.

The collaboration between Chinese and Russian filmmakers has given rise to an epic wartime romance that interwines history, artistry and shared memories. Upon its release in 2015, it received positive reviews for its cinematography and emotional depth, with a score of 7.5 on Douban, China's major film rating platform.