Hot on the heels of his Un Certain Regard prize win at last year’s Cannes for “Black Dog,” acclaimed Chinese director Guan Hu is set to unveil his latest project at this year’s Cannes Film Market.
The Seventh Art Pictures will handle international sales for “Dong Ji Island,” an $80 million war epic based on true events from World War II. Co-directed by Guan and his longtime assistant director Fei Zhenxiang, the film follows the harrowing rescue mission of local islanders who brave treacherous seas and Japanese forces to save British prisoners of war trapped on a sinking Japanese warship mistakenly attacked near China’s easternmost waters.
The film is based on the sinking of Japanese ship “Lisbon Maru,” which was also the subject of documentary “The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru,” which was China’s entry to the Oscars’ international category.
The production boasts an A-list Chinese cast including Zhu Yilong (“Lighting Up the Stars,” “Only the River Flows”), Wu Lei (“Shadow,” “Dwelling by the West Lake”), and Ni Ni (“Lost in the Stars,” “The Flowers of War”).
For Fei, who has worked with Guan since “Mr. Six,” this marks a major feature directorial effort after helming popular Chinese TV series including 2022’s “Love Like The Galaxy.”
Producer Liang Jing, who serves as chair of The Seventh Art Pictures, has a long history with Guan, having produced many of his notable works including “The Eight Hundred,” which became the world’s highest-grossing live-action film of 2020 with over $461 million in global box office.
The Seventh Art Pictures, co-founded by Guan and Liang, has cultivated a reputation for both commercial success and artistic merit. The company’s films have collectively grossed over $1 billion, while its “7 Hope Project” supports emerging filmmakers whose works have appeared at prestigious festivals, including “Streetwise” (Un Certain Regard nominee at the 74th Cannes Film Festival) and “A Song Sung Blue” (Directors’ Fortnight selection at the 76th Cannes Film Festival).
Co-presented by Shanghai Tao Piao Piao Movie & TV Culture Co., Ltd. and Beijing Enlight Pictures Co. Ltd., “Dong Ji Island” is slated for domestic release in China later this year. A 17-minute promo will screen for buyers at the market on May 14.
Guan, who is represented by UTA, will also be shopping another upcoming title at Cannes – “A Man and a Woman,” a light comedy starring Huang Bo and Ni Ni.
