Promotional material for The Coldest City Photo: Courtesy of Maoyan

 
Movie 'The Coldest City' premieres

A new movie The Coldest City ­premiered on Monday in Beijing. 

Set in 1944, the film tells the story of gunman Gu Nian, who is entrusted by his best friend Fang Pingzhi on his deathbed to deliver some valuable relics to Bincheng city. 

When Gu arrives in Bincheng, he learns that the Fang family had been destroyed by its enemies a few years ago. 

Gu decides to stay in Bincheng and secretly investigate the real culprit behind the murder of Fang's family. As the story progresses, the film reveals different aspects of human nature. 

The film's director, Yang Feng, talked about some of the ­behind-the-scene stories making the film at a recent event. 

­According to the director, The Coldest City underwent 20 draft revisions and its film crews of nearly 1,000 people in total traveled across the country to shoot at various locations. 

The crew researched numerous texts and historical materials to make the story feel true to life.

The film's score was recorded by the Budapest Symphony Orchestra in Hungary.

'Romeo and Juliet' launches in Shanghai

The French musical Romeo and Juliet kicked off at the Shanghai Culture Square on Wednesday. The classic French musical, adapted from William Shakespeare's play, was created by the famous French composer Gérard Presgurvic. 

The musical premiered in France in 2001 and immediately became one of the most popular French musicals in the world. It has toured around the world, moving countless audiences. 

The musical consists of 34 songs across a variety of styles, accompanied by atmospheric and exquisite stage design and powerful choreography, creating a feast for the eyes and ears.

In 2012 and 2018, the musical was performed in Shanghai. Its beautiful melodies and gorgeous presentation captured the hearts of thousands of Chinese audiences. As Romeo and Juliet finishes its 20th anniversary tour around the world, this cross-time French romance will also return to the stage at the Culture Square. The two lead actors will also take the audience back to the beautiful city of Verona, where the drama began.