Seventy years have passed since the end of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53). Throughout these decades, numerous documentaries have been created to honor the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) army veterans who bravely fought in the war to defend their homeland. Most of these narratives have been told from the veterans’ perspective, using historical materials as support.
However, a fresh documentary aired on Mango TV and Hunan TV is attempting a different approach. Titled “Chao Shikong Xunzhao,” or “Searching Beyond Time and Space,” the documentary places “searching” at the core of its narrative, delving into the stories of war heroes through the eyes of six contemporary young individuals.
The participants not only recount their grandparents’ stories but also assist them in realizing their dreams, such as “returning” to the battlefield or “reuniting” with their comrades-in-arms using advanced technology like virtual reality (VR).
Sun Lu, the producer and director of the documentary, noted, “For CPV veterans, the motherland is their family. If you want to protect your family, you must guard the motherland. Starting from everyone’s small family best interprets the expression of ‘defending home and country.'”
Although the war occurred 73 years ago and may seem remote to us, the stories and actions of these once-young heroes, now aged, remain “full of vigor,” capable of touching “the hearts of every Chinese” and “moving billions of people.”
Over a span of six months, Sun and her team journeyed across 12 provinces and autonomous regions, from Central China’s Hunan and South China’s Guangdong provinces to Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, conversing with over 60 CPV veterans. This endeavor resulted in the narratives of six groups comprising 18 veterans being showcased on television.
The majority of the production team members were born in the 1990s, and their knowledge about the veterans and the war primarily came from textbooks, novels, and films. These sources acquainted them with martyrs such as Huang Jiguang and Qiu Shaoyun, the valor of the soldiers, and the harsh realities of war.
Sun remarked, “However, we know very little about why those young soldiers close to our age made such choices and what they experienced on the battlefield.”
What heightened her anxiety was the realization that this “search” was a race against time, as many of the elderly individuals had already passed away, leaving their stories untold. During the research process, the team received news of the demise of several veterans.
Sun added, “The speed of their departure was much faster than we imagined. We should only hurry up and record their stories as soon as possible. For something, if you don’t do it, you won’t have a chance.”
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