The documentary "Mountains and Rivers Bearing Witness" premiered Monday at the Museum of the Communist Party of China (CPC) ahead of its nationwide release on Aug. 15, offering an in-depth portrayal of the nation's resistance against Japanese aggression.

Film executives launch "Mountains and Rivers Bearing Witness" at its premiere at the Museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, Aug. 11, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Huaxia Film]

The film marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945) and the World Anti-Fascist War. Filmmakers say it is the first comprehensive cinematic account of China's 14-year resistance, highlighting the country's role as the main theater in the East of the World Anti-Fascist War and documenting the Chinese people's wartime struggle.

The film combines extensive archival footage — much of it digitally restored — with artistic recreations using CGI based on historical records, to depict events from the September 18 Incident in 1931 to the 1945 victory. It showcases the CPC's pivotal wartime leadership while honoring the spirit of this historic struggle.

Bai Yimin, chairman of Huaxia Film Distribution Co., said the production team drew on authentic historical materials and was guided by an advisory group of scholars specializing in Party history, military history and Japan's invasion. 

"Simultaneously, it employs cutting-edge audiovisual techniques to revitalize frozen historical moments, giving new vitality to this chapter of blood and tears with vivid imagery and palpable emotional resonance, ultimately creating profoundly moving cinematic power," he said.

Yao Yonghui, chairman of China Central Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio (Group), said the creative team approached the project with reverence, piecing together historical clues from vast archival material. With a 20,000-word script and 104 minutes of distilled storytelling, the documentary aims for panoramic authenticity while innovating in visual presentation, showcasing what Yao called "the Chinese people's indomitable spirit under Party leadership during their heroic resistance."

Li Zongyuan, Party committee secretary and curator of the CPC museum, said the film's release carries particular importance during the 80th anniversary commemorations. "It solemnly safeguards historical memory, counters historical nihilism, confirms the strategic value of China's role as the main theater in the East, and highlights the Chinese nation's extraordinary contributions to global peace," he said.

The film is narrated by renowned actor Chen Jianbin. A behind-the-scenes clip shown at the premiere showed Chen's careful preparation, treating the task with solemnity and weighing each word with care. Every tone and emotional inflection were repeatedly adjusted to deliver what the filmmakers described as the most accurate and moving narration possible.

The directors of the documentary "Mountains and Rivers Bearing Witness" share their insights on stage during a premiere ceremony at the Museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, Aug. 11, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Huaxia Film]

General director Yu Peng and directors Han Jinna, Huang Yue, Zhang Ning and Li Yan took the stage to share filmmaking insights. Yu said the production relies entirely on authentic historical sources to depict China's 14-year resistance. "Every frame is rooted in real events — our nation's suffering, grief, fury and defiance — ultimately revealing the unyielding courage and resilience at the core of our national character," he said.

Huang said the film includes rare footage shot in China by Soviet director Roman Lazarevich Karmen, some of which had never been shown domestically. The sequences combine authentic battlefield images of Chinese soldiers with close-ups of spirited individuals, which Huang said vividly capture the Chinese people's indomitable spirit during the war.