History documentary on failed assassination of Soong Tse-ven premieres
“The Scapegoat,” the latest offering of veteran documentary filmmaker Han Jing, held a premiere at the ongoing 21st Shanghai International Film Festival on Monday.
The history documentary film records Wang Yaqiao’s failed assassination of Soong Tse-ven — a prominent businessman and politician in the early 20th century — at a railway station of Shanghai.
Director Han, whose credit includes acclaimed documentary series “Imperial Examination” said the genre of history documentary always has a fascinating charm for her. It is a rewarding experience for her to explore unknown stories and solve the mystery of history.
It took Han around 3 years to make the documentary.
“A challenge for me is how to make the storytelling of a history documentary attractive to today’s audience,” Han added.
Based on the history, she also used innovative cinematography in the movie to reproduce the scenes of that time.
The movie is expected to hit cinemas across China later this year. Han is also considering to develop it into a film series with other stories about Chiang Kai-shek and Ding Mocun.