Title: The Flowers of War
Released Date: December, 2011 (NY, LA, SF)
Genres: Drama
Director: Zhang Yimou
Cast: Christian Bale, Zhang Xinyi, Huang Tianyuan, Tong Dawei, Atsuro Watabe, Shigeo Kobayashi, Cao Kefan

The Flowers of War” is adapted from Geling Yan’s historical novel “13 Flowers of Nanjing.” The film is a work of historical fiction set against the backdrop of the Rape of Nanking, a brutal chapter in the Sino-Japanese War, which was a significant event in Chinese history. Produced and fully financed by Zhang Weiping under his New Pictures Film banner, “The Flowers of War” is inspired by true life events, and tells a genuine story of hope, love and sacrifice.

Set in 1937, Nanking stands at the forefront of a war between China and Japan. As the invading Japanese Imperial Army overruns China’s capital city, desperate civilians seek refuge behind the nominally protective walls of a western cathedral. Here, John Miller (Bale), an American trapped amidst the chaos of battle, and the ensuing occupation, takes shelter, joined by a group of innocent schoolgirls and thirteen courtesans, equally determined to escape the horrors taking place outside the church walls.