Film about CPC founder starts filming in southern China

As a tribute to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the film Hope started shooting in Haikou, South China's Hainan province, on Dec 20.

Helmed by veteran director Chen Jianfei and written by scriptwriter Zhou Zhentian, the movie features award-winning actors Fu Dalong and Jiang Wu respectively as Li Dazhao, one of the CPC's founders, and Wu Yuwen, the one who caused Li's death.

As a pioneer of China's Communist movement, Li was born in a village in Hebei province in 1889. Growing up in a turbulent era and seeing the Chinese people's struggles amid warlords' conflicts and foreign threats, Li became a determined patriot, a great Marxist and an outstanding proletarian revolutionary.

Six years after Li and other major figures founded the CPC in 1921, he was arrested and killed by warlord Zhang Zuolin in Beijing. Wu, who worked as a senior police officer at the bureau in 1927, died in prison due to serious sickness in 1953 after he was arrested for Li's murder in 1951.

With express permission from Li Dazhao's granddaughter Li Lequn, the film unfolds through two parallel timelines, one between 1919-1927 and the other in 1951, showing Li Dazhao's devotion and dedication to risk his own life in order to revive China and help the struggling Chinese people.

Scriptwriter Zhou said Li was a great person, whose noble spirit and personal charm are valuable examples for young audiences today, during the launch ceremony in Haikou. He said he had researched more details of Li's life to add human interest to the movie.

Speaking about his role, actor Fu said: "Li Dazhao has a romantic and caring personality. What makes him a great person is he would rather sacrifice everything he values for the equality and freedom of all Chinese people."