I brought the Jewish “Night Rose” back to Shanghai – Bella’s “Song of the Survivor” premiered last night on Dragon TVFly into the homes of ordinary people
last nightwriter Bella’s “Song of the Survivor – Jews in Shanghai” documentary premiered on Dragon TV.
Bella spent more than 20 years visiting Jews scattered all over the world who were refugees and born in Shanghai during World War II. A large number of first-hand historical materials and more than 1 million words of records, materials, outlines and first drafts have been collected. She took this as her eternal hometown dream and dedicated it to her birthplace Shanghai.
She planned ten novels of “Jews in Shanghai”. The prototype stories include Hollywood gold medal producer Mike Medward, Harvard Law School professor Lawrence, former U.S. Treasury Secretary Blumenthal, and the Jewish boy rescued in the “Jiang Ya Lun” shipwreck, etc.
Through the documentary “Song of the Survivors”, follow Bella to discover the story of the Jews in Shanghai, and look back at that cross-ethnic life picture.
The documentary started from Bella’s initial connection with Jewish themes. In the process of her continuous exploration, excavation, collection and verification, the details of the Jewish life and history in Shanghai in those days have changed from the dusty years of more than 80 years of rapid changes. Poke it aside and show it in front of the audience with the most authentic original appearance. She presented the true feelings of Jewish friends through historical archives and real objects.
This “Song of the Survivor” documentary mainly tells the story of Mike Medvor’s family in Shanghai during World War II. He is a famous Hollywood producer and serves as a producer or producer of works, including “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Silence of the Lambs”. “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Dancing With Wolves” have won the Academy Award for Best Picture eight times. Mike Medvor’s parents, they lived in Shanghai for 24 years, Bella met Mike’s mother Dora, they communicated in fluent Shanghai dialect, Dora wanted to follow her back to Shanghai every time she saw Bella Let’s take a look at where Shanghai once lived. This also started Bella’s search process. The documentary will return to what she and Mike were looking for on the streets of Shanghai, and finally, with Bella’s efforts, they found Mike’s old Shanghai residence. Unexpectedly, the old house still retains the living utensils of the Mike family. Mike Medvor once said with emotion at the 15th Shanghai International Film Festival, Shanghai is my root for me. My parents have lived here for 24 years, and they often mention Shanghai. In fact, Shanghai saved their lives and provided them with a safe place to live, for which I am very grateful. Also speaking of the same voice is Lawrence, a professor at Harvard Law School, a well-known constitutional expert, and an official of the Justice Department of President Obama. He has repeatedly said that without Shanghai, I might not be able to survive at all. My parents were Jewish refugees who escaped the Holocaust. The rest of my life is possible because of the safe haven of Shanghai. In this history, it shows the great love of the city of Shanghai that embraces all rivers, the simplicity and enthusiasm of the people of Shanghai, and the historical chapter of cross-ethnic cultural integration.
Bella looks back to her hometown with literature and has completed several manuscripts. The published “The Curse of the Piano” and “Song of the Survivor” have been highly concerned by the Jewish world after they were translated and published in English by the famous American sinologist Howard G. Mr. Edward, Consul General of Israel in Shanghai, praised Bella as the ambassador of cultural exchange between China and Israel. Bella’s “Jews in Shanghai” series of novels “No. 59 Zhoushan Road”, “Golden Palace on the Sea” and other works will be published one after another.
The novel “Song of the Survivor” is a long novel based on the real life of the parents of the legendary Hollywood producer Mike Medwall in Shanghai under the bonfire of World War II. Gone with the Wind”. Mike was born in Shanghai in 1941. During World War II, his father David and his mother Dora fell in love and married in Shanghai. Like thousands of Jewish refugees, they were sheltered in Shanghai and spent the most difficult years of their lives. The former site of the Moses Synagogue is one of the only two remaining synagogue sites in Shanghai. During World War II, Jewish refugees in Shanghai often met and held religious ceremonies. In the novel “Song of the Survivor”, David and Dora are married here.
The “Song of the Survivor” documentary turns fiction into reality and restores the real life of Mike’s parents. The relevant information about Mike’s father’s employment in the American business company was discovered, and Bella gave him a copy of “Memories of Shanghai”. Put Mike’s father’s resume, pay stubs, photos, and handwritten letters in it. After Mike opened it, he was filled with emotion and tears welled up in his eyes. What moved the Mike family the most was that Bella found a former home for Mike based on the address on Mike’s father’s resume. As if destined, this family was actually the residents who moved into the Aiwen apartment in 1948. Even the piano and furniture teacups left by the Mike family are well preserved. The documentary vividly restores the real story and historical background, and interprets the profound theme of the community of human destiny through the ups and downs of David Dora’s fate scroll.
Oscar-winning screenwriter Ronald Harwood for The Pianist has completed the screenplay for Bella’s The Cursed Piano. This companion piece to The Pianist is a legacy of his life.
The documentary “Song of the Survivor” is planned and produced by Shanghai Qiyuan Culture.
This newspaper’s graphic and text comprehensive WeChat public account “Japanese Kansai Chinese”
Edited by: Mae Yingdi