Based on recorded witness testimony from real-life survivors, City of Life and Death is a stunning depiction of the Rape of Nanking, meticulously recreating the infamous reign of terror conducted by the occupying Japanese army in the Chinese capital in 1937.

Few filmmakers have gone so far to dramatize historical atrocities. In disarmingly gorgeous, stark, and widescreen B&W photography, alongside a minimal score, Lu Chuan visualizes the era to reveal the humanity and pinpoint the villainy. This is a heart-breaking, unmissable landmark film.