Sino-US Relationship Doco in the Spotlight, and New Raft of Heyi Films Launched

　　The cast of "Better Angels," a 90-minute documentary film about the Sino-U.S. relationship and mutual understanding, met the press yesterday at the ongoing 2016 Shanghai International Film and TV Festival.

　　The film, a joint effort of America, Canada and China, was produced by William Mundell, son of Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Mundell, and helmed by British two-time Academy Award-winning director Malcolm Clarke. It is expected to have global release this year.

　　The documentary took Clarke three years to shoot, his team interviewing several hundred people involved in Sino-U.S. cooperation and exchanges including former U.S. secretary of state Henry Kissinger, Chinese real estate tycoon Wang Jianlin, scholars and entrepreneurs in both countries."I used to know very little about China," said Clarke."China shocked and impressed me. But China is no longer a country behind the Great Wall and is an extraordinary country."

　　Mundell said the producers invited Clarke to direct the film because he could tell the stories with fresh ideas."It is a story about how ordinary people sought to break down barriers between the two countries," Mundell said. He hopes the film can improve mutual understanding on both sides and open up more opportunities for cooperation.

　　Also yesterday, Heyi Pictures announced a raft of new film projects. Among them will be a sci-fi action blockbuster which will feature action star Jackie Chan for the first time in two roles as both producer and star. Titled "The Blood Machine," the film will start shooting in July in China and Australia.

　　Other projects will be a romance film adapted from online novelist Tong Hua\'s fictional story "The Starry Night, the Starry Sea," youth film "Genius J," and hilarious comedy film "Yes, Boss!" Some of the projects are inspired by the most popular contemporary Chinese reality series and online series. They will therefore cater to the tastes of a large number of young Netizens.