NANKING-the movie 11.9.2007

Friday, November 9, 2007

Spent a day at work and caught up with some data entry and learned how to update and install the new ACT for Financial Planners, convert all our data whilst at work.

Went to the post office and got my Zhang Hui Mei concert ticket (yeah!). I must admit it was misleading when I got it on line I had the pick it up at the offices option. So I chose it to save $5 shipping charge. But within three days, they mailed it and had to charge me the $5. I was a bit upset. I cannot easily go to Chinatown due to my schedule but I was planning to pick it up. They could NOT wait a week? Very frustrating! I am looking forward to the concert on Thanksgiving at Mohegan Sun. Granted I am clueless to her work for the last few words but she has a great voice and I believe that she is very talented.

My sis and I grabbed some food at Boca Grande. I had not gone there in a long time. The prices went up but it was not bad for a chorizo burrito grande with rice, beans, avocado, and hot sauce.
We went the special event premiere NANKING the movie at the John Hancock at the Back Bay Event Center in the old John Hancock Center building. For our $15 tickets we were in the front area but on the side of the center tickets. There was a special performance by the North American Chorus Association with Yang Yang on the piano and Wan Jun Qiao conducted with soloist Fennie Chen singing “God Bless America.” Then there were three songs sung in Mandarin Chinese –Ballad of the Yellow River and Defending the Yellow River.

Emcee Sarinna Chiang talked about the Asian American Cultural Foundation WWII Asian History Society and then introduced "Rape of Nanking" author Iris Chang’s parents Professor Ying Ying and Professor ShauJin Chang. There was moving commentary from her father and then her mother introduced a rare photo montage of Iris from childhood til adulthood. Then there was a special trailer premiere of a film on Iris Chang. Afterwards, there was a quick short film about the GA Study Tour to China in 2007 for US educators to learn about the Nanking Massacre on a paid tour to create and use their notes with lacking information within the US History books.

Then Ted Leonsis who is a top executive at AOL spoke of his experience about Iris Chang’s book and how he became inspired to produce her book to create “Nanking.” Then we saw a hour footage of the 90 minute film of “Nanking”. There was not a dry eye in the house. It was an interesting premise to use actors to read aloud the letters and dairies while there was real footage, photos and interviews with survivors pulled the film together. The emotional testimonies from the Chinese soldiers and survivors while contrasted with the non contrite Japanese soldiers’ testimonials collaborate with the Chinese survivors interviews.

War is never a good time. The world is not aware of what happened in Nanking in the English speaking world until Iris Chang wrote her book “The Rape of Nanking.” I recall my mom telling me of what the Japanese did to the Chinese during WWII and she showed me very disturbing photos and explained what had happened to the Chinese at that time. My mother always had the wish that I would write a book about this horrific historical event that the world is not common knowledge outside of Chinese language history books.

During WWII, it made sense after the Japanese took over Shanghai their next target would be the Chinese capital Nanking which was only 120 miles away. The Chinese who fled to Nanking told of horrific stories of looting, raping and killing that happened in Shanghai. Japanese were definitely planning to capture the capital in 1937. The Westerners living in Nanking at the time their personal writings-dairies and letters flushed out the actual footage and photos. The graphic photos, videos and interviews were heart breaking. Over 200,000 Chinese died and about 20,000 Chinese women were raped during this time as estimated by the Tokyo War Tribunal.
What is upsetting and disturbing is there are still Japanese who deny that this every happened. To the Chinese with my mother included, she calls it the untold Holocaust. It is important that the world knows about the Nanking Massacre. It is sad that Iris Chang is no longer with us, but her legacy lives on. Friday night marked the third anniversary of her death.

There was a brief Q and A after the movie was shown. We were informed that HBO bought the rights so it will be shown there and it will premiere in December and at the Landmark Kendall theaters in Cambridge on January 25, 2008.

For more pics:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20384&l=e48d1&id=575810425