'Dead to Rights' China Film Co. Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment China has selected Dead to Rights, a harrowing historical drama set amid the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, as its official contender for the 98th Academy Awards' Best International Feature Film category. Directed by Shen Ao from a script he co-wrote with Xu Luyang and Zhang Ke, Dead to Rights centers on a humble postman, Ah Chang (played by Liu Haoran), who assumes the identity of a photo-developer within a Japanese-controlled studio. He covertly hides civilians and Chinese soldiers, while duplicating photographic evidence of atrocities. Operating under daily threat and surveillance, the studio becomes a crucible of moral sacrifice, artistic resistance, and survival. Related Stories Movies Wagner Moura on 'The Secret Agent' and Confronting Authoritarianism, From Bolsonaro to Trump: Zurich Movies Inside Tom Quinn's Neon Revolution The pick underscores China's steady shift over the past decade of submitting large-scale historical narratives with potent national symbolism instead of the arthouse human dramas that more regularly win the country's filmmakers acclaim overseas. Released in July 25, Dead to Rights was an instant commercial hit in China, breaking a long blockbuster dry spell that extended through the spring. The film earned $57.2 million in its first weekend and it continued to perform powerfully throughout the summer. It's total haul currently stands at $417.6 million. The film is backed by the state-backed China Film Group and Omnijoi Media, among others. Since its first attempt in 1979, the People's Republic of China has submitted 39 films to the Best International Feature (formerly Best Foreign Language) Oscar race. The country has received two nominations - both for Zhang Yimou films; Ju Dou in 1990 and Hero in 2002 - but has not yet clinched an Oscar. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up international Creator of AI Actress Tilly Norwood Responds to Backlash: "She Is Not a Replacement for a Human Being" Steven Cree 'Outlander' Actor Steven Cree Writing and Starring in Feature Film 'Ben & Lucy' (Exclusive) Oscars NYFF: Kathryn Bigelow's 'A House of Dynamite' Adds Nuclear Catastrophe to Our Long List of Worries Sundance Quentin Tarantino Pays Tribute to Robert Redford and Sundance at Burbank Fest: "None of Us Independent Filmmakers Would Be Where We Are Without the Sundance Film Institute" The Intern Warner Bros. Begins Production on Korean Remake of 'The Intern' Starring Choi Min-sik and Han So-hee international Park Chan-wook's Critically Acclaimed Comedy Thriller 'No Other Choice' Opens in First Place at Korea's Box Office international Creator of AI Actress Tilly Norwood Responds to Backlash: "She Is Not a Replacement for a Human Being" Steven Cree 'Outlander' Actor Steven Cree Writing and Starring in Feature Film 'Ben & Lucy' (Exclusive) Oscars NYFF: Kathryn Bigelow's 'A House of Dynamite' Adds Nuclear Catastrophe to Our Long List of Worries Sundance Quentin Tarantino Pays Tribute to Robert Redford and Sundance at Burbank Fest: "None of Us Independent Filmmakers Would Be Where We Are Without the Sundance Film Institute" The Intern Warner Bros. Begins Production on Korean Remake of 'The Intern' Starring Choi Min-sik and Han So-hee international Park Chan-wook's Critically Acclaimed Comedy Thriller 'No Other Choice' Opens in First Place at Korea's Box Office