Opening Film of the 26th SIFF: Dance Drama Film - RED RADIO OVER SHANGHAI

Red is the most striking color of Shanghai. The 26th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) will kick off with the dance drama film RED RADIO OVER SHANGHAI, directed by Zheng Dasheng and Cui Yi. The film will have its world premiere on June 15, following the opening ceremony, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Shanghai’s liberation.

Poster of RED RADIO OVER SHANGHAI

The well-known story of RED RADIO OVER SHANGHAI is set in the days leading up to the liberation of Shanghai and is based on the real-life story of martyr Li Bai. This tale, as part of Shanghai’s red cultural heritage, is a distinctive cultural emblem of the city. In 1937, Li Bai was sent to Shanghai by the Party to manage a secret radio station. Amidst numerous dangers, he and his revolutionary partner Qiu Huiying remained undercover for 12 years, securing the secret communication line between Shanghai and Yan’an. On the early morning of December 30, 1948, Li Bai was captured. His final message, “Comrades, farewell forever!” encapsulated his indomitable spirit to guard his ideal. On May 7, 1949, Li Bai, at his age of 39, was secretly executed by Kuomintang agents in Pudong, Shanghai. Twenty days later, Shanghai was liberated.

The story of RED RADIO OVER SHANGHAI has been adapted into various art forms multiple times. The adapted film in 1958, starring Sun Daolin, is known as a classic in Chinese cinema. In 2018, the Shanghai Dance Theatre created the dance drama RED RADIO OVER SHANGHAI, which received critical acclaim for its innovative choreography and exceptional performance at the debut, winning the Fifteenth “Best Works Award” and the Wenhua Award in 2019. Now, in an effort to creatively transform and innovate the publicity of red culture, the Shanghai Dance Theatre, in collaboration with SMG Pictures, has produced the dance drama film RED RADIO OVER SHANGHAI, turning the “dance drama with some cinematic narrative techniques” into a “dance drama film”, thus renewing the story’s expression once again.

Zheng Dasheng, the president of the Shanghai Film Association and the film’s general director, chose to integrate historical footage into the film with an effortlessly approach to enhance the depiction of “real scenes”. He believes that “no formal technique can surpass the impact of authentic historical moments”.

From film to stage and back to film again, the story of RED RADIO OVER SHANGHAI lends an artistic touch to Shanghai, a “City of Glory”, to immortalize a heroic saga with enduring vitality. Following its screening as the opening film of this year’s SIFF, the dance drama film RED RADIO OVER SHANGHAI will be officially released nationwide on June 18. The film is also a highlight of the festival’s special panorama segment, “City and Film: Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of New China and the Liberation of Shanghai”. This segment features a selection of new domestic films and various Shanghai-themed films from different periods, showcasing the red culture, Shanghai culture, and Jiangnan culture intrinsic to Shanghai through the language of cinema.

Guided by the Publicity Department of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and presented by Shanghai Media Group, the film, directed by Han Zhen and Zhou Liya, is produced by the Shanghai Dance Theatre in collaboration with SMG Pictures by adapting from the original dance drama of the same name. The film is starred by Wang Yajun and Zhu Jiejing, principal performers from the Shanghai Dance Theatre, with passionate performances by the young dancers from the original troupe.