City of Life and Death

In December 1937, the Imperial Japanese Army laid siege to the Chinese capital of Nanjing, killing as many as 300,000 citizens, the details of which Japan and China dispute to this day. CITY OF LIFE AND DEATH is a bold re-creation of these events, told with startling humanism through the eyes of both victims and occupiers. Delving into the psychology of the Chinese struggle to survive and a Japanese soldier's struggle with his conscience, Lu's film is ultimately an indictment against the cruelty of war.