On August 31st, the film "Rescue Flying Tigers" held its premiere at the Beijing Huaxia Film Center. A reporter from The Paper noted that the prop display area and thematic panels were filled with military and historical elements. During the post-screening interactive session, the film's screenwriter and director, Liu Haoliang, and starring actors Han Geng, Mitchell Hogg, Chen Yongsheng, Wang Danni, Han Mo, and Philip Ng were all present. The film will be released nationwide on September 3rd, the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
At the premiere, a display board introduced the historical facts of the Dongjiang Column during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
The premiere showcased the flight jacket worn by American pilot James in the film. The words "Rick's cafe" were printed on the back of the jacket, a nod to the famous World War II film "Casablanca."
Looking back, on December 25, 1941, Hong Kong fell to the Japanese invaders. During the three years and eight months of Japanese occupation, the Hong Kong and Kowloon Battalion of the Dongjiang Column was the only organized armed unit to persevere until victory. Isolated behind enemy lines, they bravely fought under the pressure of Japanese and puppet troops, attacking Japanese strongholds, intercepting Japanese transport convoys, and successfully rescuing dozens of Allied pilots and international friends, including members of the American "Flying Tigers" who were sent to China to aid China.
Group photo of the main creators
The core plot of "Rescue the Flying Tigers" draws precisely from this legendary story of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. The film recounts the true story of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Brigade's 27-day rescue of US Army Aviation Lieutenant Donald Kerr, condensed into a 48-hour extreme operation: James (Mitchell Hogg), a US Army "Flying Tiger" pilot aiding China, is tragically shot down and captured by a Japanese warplane while bombing the invaders. Trapped deep in the enemy camp, he suffers horrific injuries. In this critical moment, our Communist Party's undercover operative Huan Shao (Han Geng) and Hong Kong and Kowloon Brigade soldiers Sha Dan Zai (Chen Yongsheng), San Jia Jie (Wang Danni), Xiami (Han Mo), and Shan Dao (Philipp Ng) resolutely assemble, marching against the tide deep into enemy territory, and with their flesh and blood, they forge a path through the hail of bullets...
movie posters
Director Liu Haoliang explained that the film recreates the Hong Kong streets of 1944 on a 1:1 scale, with air combat, street fighting, and explosions all shot in real time. The film's producer, Huang Jianxin, sent a video specifically explaining that this is a film with an international context.
"We directly show the deeds of the Dongjiang Column branch in Hong Kong fighting against the Japanese and rescuing the pilots of the 'Flying Tigers' who came to China to aid the country after their plane crashed. When we were young, we may have known about the Plain Guerrillas and the Railway Guerrillas, which were anti-Japanese guerrilla forces in the Hebei Plain area of North China, but we knew less about the anti-Japanese armed forces such as the Dongjiang Column in Guangdong and Hong Kong. 'Rescue the Flying Tigers' undoubtedly fills in this piece of the puzzle of the history of the national war of resistance," said Huang Jianxin.
Stills: Han Geng plays the underground party member Huan Shao
In response to an audience member's question about whether Huan Shao should have a real name, Han Geng said it was just a code name. "I think Huan Shao is a microcosm of the many underground party members of that era, those unsung heroes. It is because of their selfless dedication that we have the peaceful life we have today."
Talking about his habitual "fake smile" in the film, Han Geng explained that he and the director designed many "rough edges" for the character during filming. "Huan Shao spent a long time in the enemy camp, witnessing the invaders' brutality but unable to reveal his identity in order to complete the final mission. This 'fake smile' was actually a disguise for his self-numbing nature, and it also contrasted with his complete release and unbridled laughter before his final sacrifice. Also, according to the script's characterization of Huan Shao, he had been shot in the leg, which made his movements less agile. From the first day on set, I put a small stone in the shoe on the same side to remind myself to simulate the aftereffects of the gunshot wound when walking and running."
Stills: Wang Danni plays the role of San Jiajie, a soldier of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Brigade
Wang Danni, a 1.79-meter-tall model, plays the sharpshooter San Jiajie, who can both seduce the enemy in a cheongsam and expertly wield a British Enfield rifle. When asked why she chose a buzz cut for the film, she explained that it was a requirement the director had given her when she received the script. "The buzz cut showcases the character's strength and resolve. In the film, her three underage daughters are murdered by the Japanese army, and the buzz cut reflects her constant desire for revenge. Of course, you'll also see her in this squad, sometimes acting like an older sister, sometimes like a mother, and sometimes acting as a gentle mother. I believe San Jiajie is a female warrior with a balance of strength and softness."
Mitchell Hogg as Flying Tigers pilot James
In the film, Chinese and American anti-Japanese war patriots form a life-and-death friendship, and off-screen, the two actors also forged a deep bond. Mitchell Hogg, an American actor born in the 1990s, whose previous film was Clint Eastwood's "Richard Jewell," said that after each day on set, the Chinese actors would treat him to barbecue. "I even developed a love for Chinese noodles."
Due to language barriers, Donald Kerr, the prototype of the pilot James in the film, used hand-drawn cartoons to express his gratitude to the Chinese military and civilians for their medical treatment. (Image taken from a screenshot of a CCTV documentary)
Talking about the origins of this role, Mitchell said he was born into a family of pilots. "My grandfather, father, and cousin were all pilots, so when I got the script to play a pilot, I immediately thought of my father taking me into the cockpit as a teenager and explaining flying and airplanes to me. I quickly got into the role. James is based on Kerr, and I also read his diaries and the cartoons he drew back then, which helped me understand that period of history."
"Rescue the Flying Tigers" features many touching moments of mutual sympathy between Chinese and American soldiers. Director Liu Haoliang explained that he consulted Zou Dehuai, a well-known image collector on social media, for these moments. "For example, the scene at the end where James and Sha Danzi light a cigarette against a fire was inspired by a real historical photograph."
Old photos of the Yunnan-West battlefield during the Anti-Japanese War: During the war, an American soldier was borrowing a fire from a Chinese laborer. Photo taken from the Internet