Footage of an attempted assassination of China's late leader Deng Xiaoping during his historic visit to the U.S. in 1979 will be shown in a new documentary to be released on May 15 in China.
The movie, Mr. Deng Goes to Washington, tells the story of Deng's nine-day visit to the U.S. in 1979, his first visit to the country, only a month after China established diplomatic relations with the U.S. for the first time after the founding of People's Republic of China in 1949.
It includes the footage of an attempted assassination by a Ku Klux Klan member, as well as scenes of pro-Kuomintang protestors rallying against Deng's visit.
Interviews with political heavyweights are also weaved into the film, including then-U.S. president Jimmy Carter and his national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, as well as other witnesses from both countries who participated in the visit.
The film's producer Lü Muzi told the Global Times that 90 percent of the footage was from varioU.S. government agencies, mU.S.eums and major TV networks in the U.S..
"The nine days changed the world and way of living of all the Chinese people. Many young people today may not be aware of Deng and that period of history. This is why we made the movie to raise awareness on our country's political history," said Lü. China launched its market reforms in the late 1970s, opening up to foreign trade and investment.
A member of the production team told the Global Times that the movie will hit theater on May 15, the same day as the Hollywood blockbU.S.ter The Avengers 2, for its symbolic implication.
"While The Avengers 2 is about the story of America's superheroes, we believe that Deng is the Chinese version of a superhero," said Wang Bo, visual art director for the movie.
The movie finished production last year, marking the 110th anniversary of Deng's birth, and the 35th anniversary of Sino-U.S. diplomatic relations. 1979 was also the year when the Chinese government put the question of Taiwan at the top of its agenda. The film's director is Fu Hongxing, known for another 1998 documentary focU.S.ing on the diplomatic career of Zhou Enlai, another late Chinese leader.
