Washington D.C., USA - Aug 6, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Moviegoers at cinema, poster of Chinese wartime film Dead to Rights
2. Poster for North American premiere of Dead to Rights on screen
3. Chinese Ambassador to United States Xie Feng (L2), other guests posing for photos
4. Xie, other guests at premiere
5. Various of film trailer on screen
6. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Xie Feng, Chinese Ambassador to United States:
"During the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the Chinese and American people stood together as allies, fighting side by side and leaving behind a historic legacy of jointly safeguarding human peace and justice. In this era of peace, China and the United States share only the responsibility to maintain peace, without any reason for confrontation. The two countries should work together to forge a correct way of dealing with each other in the new era that features mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation."
7. Poster for North American premiere of Dead to Rights on screen
8. Various of posters of Dead to Rights

Beijing, China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
9. Various of clips of film Dead to Rights

Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng called for strengthened cooperation in maintaining global peace in the new era at the North American premiere of the critically-acclaimed Chinese wartime film "Dead to Rights" in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.

"Dead to Rights", based on harrowing events of the Nanjing Massacre during Japan's invasion of China, was held at a cinema in the U.S. capital, with more than 200 guests from various sectors attending the event.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. On Sept. 3, China will hold a grand military parade to commemorate these milestones. Against this backdrop, "Dead to Rights" takes audiences back to one of the darkest and most overlooked chapter of World War II -- the Nanjing Massacre.

The film centers on a group of Chinese civilians who take refuge in a photography studio during the Japanese aggressors' brutal occupation of Nanjing in December 1937.

In a desperate attempt to stay alive, they are forced to assist a Japanese military photographer in developing film, only to discover that the negatives contain damning evidence of atrocities committed by Japanese forces across the city. They secretly keep the negatives and risk their lives to deliver them to the outside world, hoping that the truth would be revealed.

In his remarks at the premiere, Ambassador Xie highlighted the film's critical reception and box office success in China, praising its powerful historical authenticity and profound artistic portrayal of wartime humanity.

The ambassador said that the film transcends time to illuminate history's darkest chapters while revealing humanity's brightest resilience. It reminds people of war's brutality, peace's preciousness, and people's duty to learn from history while forging the future, he said.

"During the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the Chinese and American people stood together as allies, fighting side by side and leaving behind a historic legacy of jointly safeguarding human peace and justice. In this era of peace, China and the United States share only the responsibility to maintain peace, without any reason for confrontation. The two countries should work together to forge a correct way of dealing with each other in the new era that features mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation," said Xie.

The film "Dead to Rights" will be officially released in major cinemas across U.S. cities on Aug 15.

The Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese troops captured the then-Chinese capital on Dec. 13, 1937. Over the course of six weeks, they killed approximately 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers in one of the most barbaric episodes of World War II.