Adding to their collection of films picked off from Berlin, Strand Releasing have acquired the U.S. rights to Florian Gallenberger’s John Rabe – a big budget German feature that looks at the Nanjing massacre of 37-38 from a Schindler’s List perspective. Winner of a four awards at the Golden Lolas (Germany’s Academy Awards), this will be a perfect compliment/companion piece to the 2010 release of Lu Chaun’s City of Life and Death. Strand is planning a Spring release.
With popular Germans thesps Ulrich Tukur and Daniel Bruhl on board, this is a story about a German businessman who saved more than 200,000 Chinese during the massacre. Tukur portrays Rabe, who, as a Nazi party member and Siemens executive, was able to create a safety zone within the city to protect civilians from Japanese atrocities, which claimed the lives of an estimated 300,000 civilians. Steve Buscemi plays real-life American Dr. Robert Wilson, who remained in Nanjing during the occupation to care for legions of victims.
