The Battle at Lake Changjin
The Battle at Lake Changjin (Chinese: 长津湖) is a 2021 Chinese war film directed by Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark and Dante Lam. It was written by Lan Xiaolong and Huang Jianxin, produced by Yu Dong, and stars Wu Jing and Jackson Yee.[2][3][4]
The film’s story was commissioned by the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party[disputed – discuss][failed verification] and announced as part of the 100th Anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party.[5][6][7][8]
The film has currently grossed $858.4 million at the box office, making it the second highest-grossing film in Chinese history[9] and the highest-grossing film of 2021.[10]
The story of The Battle at Lake Changjin was commissioned by the National Radio and Television Administration, the Central Military Commission and the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing, Hebei and Liaoning.[12][13] The film was produced by Polybona Films. The screenplay was written by Lan Xiaolong, who was responsible for the critically acclaimed drama Soldiers Sortie, and Huang Jianxin. In February 2020, it was reported that Andrew Lau had been offered the job of directing the film, but he was hired to direct Chinese Doctors instead; Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark and Dante Lam were later hired to direct the film. The Battle at Lake Changjin is one of the most expensive films ever made, with a production budget of over US$200 million.[14]
Shooting began in Beijing on 25 October 2020 and ended on 25 May 2021.[15][16] 70,000 People’s Liberation Army soldiers acted as extras.[13]
Most of the film was shot on location in Zhejiang.[17] The scene of the People’s Volunteer Army boarding trucks to North Korea was filmed at Meishan station [zh] in Huzhou.[17] Parts of the scenes were filmed in Lishimen Reservoir.[18]
