By Sapna Maheshwari & Wang Wei
A documentary about China's preparation for the Olympics,
Dream Weavers – Beijing 2008, will be released nationally on June 24, the Central Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio announced Wednesday at a press conference.
Press conference for Olympics documentary "Dream Weavers – Beijing 2008"
Filming of Dream Weavers – Beijing 2008 began shortly after China won the bid for the Olympics in July 2001, making the documentary the result of seven years of work. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) supervised its production.
"Through this documentary, people will witness the glory of Beijing in 2008," said Gao Feng, chief of the Central Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio.
The documentary was directed by Gu Jun, who is also directing the official documentary of the Olympics during the Games.
Dream Weavers – Beijing 2008 makes history as the first film to document the entire preparation process of the Olympics as well as the longest documentary in Chinese history.
Over seven years, the production team amassed more than 80 hours of footage and more than 200,000 feet of film.
"We might use the extra footage for more documentaries, like on the Bird's Nest's creation," Gao said.
Training scene in documentary: young gymnasts