Children of Guangxi

It has come to my attention that a certain Brendan Fraser, an American-Canadian who earns obscene amounts of beer and noodle tokens in moving picture shows with unlikely plots involving Egyptian mummies returning from the dead, has announced his next venture - an epic entitled "Children of Guangxi".

This was announced at a press conference in Shanghai on Saturday (18th) and picked up by asian movie website, MonkeyPeaches. From there, the story has spread to various sites. Unfortunately, most have copied the movie synopsis almost word for word. Here is one example from China Radio International (CRI), who make a good effort at tidying up MonkeyPeaches' original idiosyncratic English, but miss one key mistake.

"Set in Shanghai in 1937, the film is about a journalist who ignores the Japanese invasion but later has a change of heart after witnessing the Nanjing Massacre. Afterwards, he travels south to Guangxi Province, leading war orphanages to safety."

I think it is shameful! As if it wasn't bad enough losing your parents and being shit upon big time by the Japanese, some American turns up and 'leads' your home to 'safety'. Seems to me that leading the orphans to safety might have been a better idea.

Having done some research into the Guangxi during the Japanese war, I was thinking that the movie must be some fantasy story, but it claims to be based on a true story. Not one I've heard before.

What is not clear however, is whether he is leading the orphans (or orphanages) to or from Guangxi. Guangxi, including Liuzhou, was occupied by the Japanese in the later stages of the war. (For more on this and pics of Liuzhou during the occupation, click here.)

Mr. Fraser is reported to have earned $12 million dollars for his last "Mummy" movie, so no doubt he and the producers will be willing and able to spare a cent or two for the impoverished orphanages remaining in Guangxi, including the state-run one here in Liuzhou.

One thing for sure. If the movie is about orphans, there should be no mummies! (Sorry, I'll get my coat!)

P.S. Just noticed that the scriptwriter for Children of Guangxi is to be one Paul Haggis! This must be a plot. See here, here, and here.

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