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Chinese Iraq war film tops 1 billion yuan as it expands overseas
The movie debuted Aug. 11 and has reached more than 1 billion yuan at the box office, according to state media.
A new Chinese film that tells the story of the Iraq war through Chinese perspectives has become a major box office performer and is also slated for overseas release, reflecting Beijing’s wider soft power push, according to SCMP Economy.
The film, titled Once Upon a Time in the Middle East, is set in the 2000s and depicts an invasion involving American troops, with its central character, Xu Fu, a Chinese chef who turns his restaurant into a shelter for local orphans and a bar for American soldiers as the conflict begins.
State media said the plot draws on the real-life experiences of several Chinese restaurateurs who lived through the war in Iraq. The film was largely shot in China and includes themes of trauma, including the destruction of Xu Fu’s business and imprisonment by both American forces and local militant groups.
SCMP Economy reported that the movie debuted on August 11 and crossed the 1 billion yuan (US$148 million) mark at the box office by Monday, with plans to release it internationally as well.