'Aftershock' Becomes the Highest-Grossing Film in China

BEIJING, Aug.12, 2010 -- "23 seconds. 32 years" is the mysterious tagline printed on movie posters across China.

Adapted from Zhang Ling's novel "Aftershock," the Feng Xiaogang-directed movie of the same name tells the story of a family torn apart by the 1976 Tangshan earthquake that killed at least 240,000.

When both her son and daughter are stuck beneath the same cement slab, Yuan Ni must choose whom to save. Her agonizing decision would shape the fate of her family for 32 years to come.

Although the technical reproduction of the 23-second earthquake is epic in itself, the vivid portrayal of the repercussions of the disaster are even more memorable.

"The shock of this movie lies not in the buildings but rather in each person's heart," director Feng told entertainment site Groove Asia.

"Aftershock" is the first Chinese movie to play on IMAX, an IMAX-Huayi Brothers partnership that illustrates China's growing clout in the film industry.

"Over the short term, there's really nowhere in the world that is as active as China right now," IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond told the Hollywood Reporter.

When asked whether working in China has become easier, Gelfond said, "Our approach to China has been to become part of the fabric of the culture."

"Aftershock" is showing on an unprecedented 4,000 screens across the nation, modern Chinese history's widest theatrical release, and has already raked in more than about $78 million. In less than three weeks after its premier July 22, "Aftershock" became the highest-grossing domestic movie ever made.

The box-office success comes partly from the movie's being the only major film showing across the country, as well as its heart-wrenching storyline. "Aftershock" is an appropriate title for the film, as it refers to both the physical destruction the earthquake caused and the mental trauma of a mother's decision to sacrifice one of her own children to save the other.