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He also turned to some war photographer friends of his mother, a noted photographer, to better approach the character. When he learned that White could speak Chinese, he discussed with scriptwriter Liu Zhenyun adding some Chinese lines for the character.

Brody, who has rich overseas working experiences in Australia, New Zealand, India and East Europe, says he is most taken by the "great deal of professionalism" on Feng's set.

"What impressed me most was how they were able to manage the enormous number of extra actors, the weather and locations being very extreme," he says.

"I was very impressed also by Feng's kindness toward the actors. The people are sometimes overlooked because there are other priorities for a director. That's a very generous thing to witness."

The film shares some similarities with The Pianist and The Thin Red Line with its reflection on humanity, which makes all his efforts worthwhile.

"A film like this is an opportunity to learn from mistakes of the past so that history does not repeat itself," Brody says.

"It is a beautiful and positive message to tell that humanity prevails and survives in the face of catastrophes. The story also reminds us not to take for granted the necessities of life, such as food, shelter and family."

The film premiered on Nov 29.

liuw@chinadaily.com.cn