A Tale of Three Cities, starring Sean Lau Ching-wan (left) and Tang Wei, reveals a romance in the 1940s China. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Mabel Cheung recalls a scene from her wartime epic, A Tale of Three Cities, in which several Chinese soldiers are beheaded by Japanese invaders.

"When the head falls, blood doesn't flow out immediately. The neck muscles first shrink backward, and then comes the blood," the 65-year-old director says.

The veteran filmmaker behind smash hits like Echoes of the Rainbow and City of Glass is now promoting A Tale of Three Cities in Beijing.

With a stellar cast led by Hong Kong actor Sean Lau Ching-wan and mainland actress Tang Wei, the movie hits mainland theaters on Aug 27.

The vivid presentation of the killings in Cheung's latest film originates from kung fu star Jackie Chan's father, Charles Chan, who was forced to witness the murders with six other Chinese after they were arrested by the Japanese forces over smuggling charges, as recorded in Cheung's documentary, Traces of a Dragon: Jackie Chan and His Lost Family.

Charles Chan led a maintenance team on a cargo ship in East China's Anhui province and was also associated with some black-market linen trade between the cities of Wuhu and Nanjing at the time.