Seven directors mark China's 70th anniversary with unique movie

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A film co-directed by seven famous Chinese directors is slated to be released on the National Day holiday in October to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

"My Motherland and I" features Chinese stories from the past seven decades, particularly at some major historic turning points, according to Huang Jianxin, the film's producer, during the launching ceremony held in Beijing on Wednesday.

Huang revealed that, while discussing the film, the directors reached a conclusion that the project has to be about "the feelings and stories of historical moments, the collective memories of the whole nation, that can touch everyone's heart."

A poster of the film /Photo via Douban.com

The directors are Chen Kaige, Zhang Yibai, Guan Hu, Xu Zheng, Xue Xiaolu, Ning Hao and Wen Muye, with Chen leading the project.

The seven directors are from four generations of the country's filmmakers. Chen Kaige is one of the renowned "Fifth Generation" of the Chinese directors, and has won awards around the globe.

Chen Kaige's film "Farewell My Concubine" was the first Chinese film to win the Palme d'Or award at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.

Directors attend the launching ceremony. /VCG Photo

While Wen Muye, the youngest of the group, has claimed the Golden Horse awards for Best New Director and Best Original Screenplay with his blockbuster "Dying to Survive".

"The film will be the Chinese filmmakers' tribute to the New China," Chen said. "It not only records the footsteps of China on its way to becoming a major country, but also evokes the collective memory of all people with Chinese origin."

(With inputs from Xinhua)