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Director Wen Muye speaks on latest anti-war movie_我的网站

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    A still from the movie Once Upon a Time in the Middle East starring Shen Teng Photo: ICYears after tackling social issues in the breakout hit film Dying to Survive, Chinese director Wen Muye returns with Once Upon a Time in the Middle East. The film opened nationwide in China on Tuesday, and, including advanced screenings, crossed 200 million yuan ($29.6 million) at the box office on its first day. 
It centers on an ordinary Chinese chef caught in the crossfire of war. Shen Teng stars as Xu Fu, a cook who travels to the fictional Middle Eastern capital of Bahata to repay family debts. There he joins forces with restaurant manager Ma Junsheng (actor Jiang Qiming) to run a Chinese eatery. When conflict erupts, the self-preserving every-man endures personal losses and gradually comes to protect local children. 
Produced by Ning Hao, the film continues Wen's signature focus on "little people," this time placing them far beyond China's borders.
In an interview with the Global Times, Wen talked about the project's connection to news reports of Chinese migrants who open restaurants overseas and forge quiet connections through food.
"Many Chinese people go abroad simply to make a living," he told the Global Times. "They open restaurants, use food to break down regional barriers, and form deep bonds with locals." 
The production team conducted extensive research and location scouting in the Middle East to capture everyday details. Elements such as free-running single-humped camels required overseas shoots; the resulting images of open space after confinement, Wen noted, carry a simple sense of hope.
Food functions as the film's central motif. 
"Food more often stands for happiness and peace," Wen explained. "Even in a war-torn environment, people still cannot do without three meals a day. That sounds basic, but after all the big things in life, what people care about most are the simplest things - eating a proper meal and taking care of family." 
A specialized food unit developed the dishes, and Shen trained extensively so that most of the wok-tossing sequences were performed by the actor himself, Wen said.
The film deliberately intercuts kitchen routines with combat sequences. 
"Three meals a day represent our longing for peaceful life, while war is the extreme act that destroys peaceful life on a large scale," Wen said. "When they collide, each becomes clearer: Food feels more ordered and full of happiness; war feels more chaotic and dark." 
He hopes the juxtaposition helps audiences recognize how hard-won ordinary peace really is.
Xu Fu's decision to shelter orphans never relies on lofty rhetoric, only a meal and a roof. Wen described this approach as rooted in a human-centered outlook rather than classic Western hero narratives. 
"We place more weight on humanism and the value of a person's existence. Our culture is about living well, studying well, eating well, and looking after children. No matter how large the events, three meals a day remain unavoidable. Food itself has warmth and can give people real strength when they are in a difficult situation," Wen said. 
The director noted that he wants viewers to leave with the plainest conviction: live properly, eat properly, and cherish the peace that exists in the present.
On balancing personal expression with commercial reach, Wen kept his principle simple: "Make the film well and tell the story well. I try to put what I want to express into foreshadowing and details without hurting the viewing experience. If audiences notice those details, I will be glad. If they do not, it does not affect the normal narrative."
From Dying to Survive and Miracle: Stupid Kid to the new film, Wen's view of human complexity has remained consistent. "People have many different sides. They face different circumstances and make different choices." 
The through-line, he added, is the same plain belief: "Being able to enjoy a proper meal is the greatest happiness."
Early audience response has been overwhelmingly positive. Advanced screenings delivered scores of 9.7-9.8 on major Chinese platforms including ticketing platform Maoyan. 
Many entered expecting a light Shen Teng comedy and left in tears, describing the experience as "laughing then crying." Shen's restrained performance has drawn particular praise, with some calling it the strongest of his career. Jiang's supporting work has also been widely noted.
Moviegoers have frequently highlighted the film's refusal to deliver speeches. Its focus on daily meals and small acts of care lands more powerfully than any slogan. 
On the depiction of the conflict, audiences observe that the movie offers a perspective that "flips the Hollywood script" by casting the US as the invader, while refusing to portray US soldiers as pure villains. Instead they appear as ordinary young men: loose in discipline and marked by the alienation of war.
Both Chinese and overseas viewers have singled out this measured approach as part of the film's distinctive Chinese viewpoint: It sidesteps both Western hero narratives and simple demonization. Some international comments note that by staying with ordinary lives rather than choosing geopolitical sides, the story offers a different lens on conflict.
One widely circulated comment from a popular Chinese self-media account on WeChat captured the film's ambition: "You can think of this film as a blend of Casablanca, Schindler's List, and The Shawshank Redemption, yet at its core lies the same grounded human compassion found in Dying to Survive. This is a highly successful attempt by Chinese filmmakers to surpass Hollywood. It is the first Chinese film that truly possesses a global vision and a professional sense of international storytelling. It is also a gift of warmth and goodwill from the Chinese people to a world still torn by war and cruelty."
。    在 2026 年科隆游戏展（gamescom 2026）上，Kabam 和 Herobeat Studios 展示了 Wilderings 的全新实机预告片，揭示了火热的全新火山生物群落，首次展示了飞蛾 Boss Röhe，并确认这款开放世界动作冒险游戏将于 2027 年春季发布其 Wilderings Version 1.0 更新。Wilderings 鼓励探索，具有快节奏动作、Roguelite 进度系统和生物收集等特色，讲述了 Abi 和她的同伴 Rif 穿越一个正迅速被黑暗吞噬的破碎世界的故事。为了在旅途中获得帮助，她将发现并收养名为 Hântu 的神秘生物，她可以利用这些生物协助战斗、利用它们的能力度过难关，并在世界中穿梭。在这个全新的火山生物群落中，Abi 将遇到至少三种 Hântu：Razzle（会燃烧并增殖的爆炸性弹射物）、Mokul（召唤灼烧区域的火山碎屑雨）和 Furioso（投掷会在敌人之间蔓延的岩浆）。至于 Röhe，这位飞蛾 Boss 实际上是来自霜冻之地的年轻猎人，他将在这一新区域挑战 Abi。为了通过在“岩浆照亮的竞技场”中设置的考验，Abi 必须完善她的身法、战斗技能和 Hântu 能力。对于参加科隆游戏展的观众，Wilderings: The Lost Spring 将于 8 月 26 日至 30 日在 10.2 展厅 F010g - E019 展位的独立游戏展台提供试玩。

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