Home

China

World

Politics

Business

Sci-Tech

Health

Opinions

Video

Live

Radio

World Asia-Pacific Middle East Europe Americas Africa

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser.

I agree

21:21

Once Upon a Time in the Middle East has become a phenomenal movie in China. It follows a debt-ridden Chinese chef who travels to the Middle East to make money, only to find himself caught between war and peace, life and death. He is not a superhero. He is an ordinary man – and that is the point. Through his eyes, the film turns war into something deeply human: a warm meal, children protected from conflict, and ordinary people trying to survive. As more Chinese citizens live and work around the world, and wars continue to threaten civilian lives, the story has resonated far beyond China. As the film reaches cinemas worldwide, CGTN’s Tian Wei spoke with its director and screenwriter, Wen Muye, known for telling stories of ordinary people. Why did he choose war – and an ordinary Chinese chef – to tell this story?

Open in CGTN APP for better experience

Search Trends

Once upon a time in a movie about Mideast